ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book discusses John Dewey's distinctions between the public and the private and between the idea of democracy and the mechanisms of democracy. It explores many of the issues that arise in contemporary public education in a manner that reveals the multiple positions often advanced by different interest groups when school decisions and practices become sites of community engagement. All members of our communities, but especially educators, parents, and community leaders, must have the knowledge, ability, and willingness to participate in the kinds of deliberations that are the heart of democratic societies. Demystifying the rhetoric, identifying the narratives, and reasoning our way through the difficult issues become essential qualities to be developed in our public schools. Being able to study the issues and make reasoned and ethical commitments to positions on these concerns must become major goals of our public education.
