Seeking Common Ground: Public Schools in a Diverse Society

by David Tyack

The American republic will survive only if its citizens are educated--this was an article of faith of its founders. But seeking common civic ground in public schools has never been easy in a society where schoolchildren followed different religions, adhered to different cultural traditions, spoke many languages, and were identified as members of different "races."

In this wise and enlightening book, filled with vivid characters and memorable incidents that make history but don't always make history books, David Tyack describes how each American generation grappled with the knotty task of creating political unity and social diversity.

Seeking Common Ground illuminates puzzles about democracy in education and chronic conflicts that continue to make news. Americans mistrusted government, yet they entrusted the civic education of their children to public schools. American history textbooks were notoriously dull, but they were also highly controversial. Although the people liked local control of schools, educational experts called it "democracy gone to seed" and campaigned to "take the schools out of politics." Reformers argued about whether it was more democratic to teach all students the same subjects or to tailor curriculum to individuals. And what was the best way to "Americanize" immigrants, asked educators: by forced-fed assimilation or by honoring their ethnic heritages?

With a broad perspective and an eye for telling detail, Tyack lets us see that debates about the civic purposes of schools are an essential part of a democratic culture, and integral to its future.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Read For School

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Brett Bawden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good, and a VERY fast read if you want a lightning-speed course in American education history. I found on paragraph so shocking I have to share it here:

This is a quote from a Texas school superintendent from that 1930's explaining why Mexican's were not given an equal education, "Most of our Mexicans are of the lower class. They transplant them, harvest them, etc. The less they know about everything else the better contented they are... If a man has very much sense or education either, he is not going to stick to this kind of work. So you see it is up to the white population to keep the Mexican on his knees in the onion patch" (Tyack 2003 p. 84).

So disturbing. What what disturbs me even more is wondering how many people still feel the same today more than 80 years later.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyack provides an overview of educational history through the persistent conflicts of values and policies. Throughout the text I found myself able to relate to a number of the conflicts he spoke of because they are current to our classrooms today as well. This only frustrated me even more as I battle with the current approaches to educational reform.

Therefore, I related to one of the final paragraphs in which Tyack states,
" Part of the deliberation, compromise, and reframing of issues needed in educational policy requires balancing the claims of innovation and conservation, looking both forward and backward. ... There is no shortage of innovators with sure answers to educational problems. But when these reformers want to transform educational practices, few ask what might be lost in the process." He goes on to compare situations where environmentalists are praised for stopping a real estate developer from paving over wetlands... yet, when people work to conserve what is good in education they are often dismissed as mossbacks or stand-patters.

[Ellen Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you ever want to know why education in america is such a comedy of errors read this book!

[Patricia Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the first part of the book very intriguing, however when it starts transcending in to the politics of education, it became a snore for me

[James Kittredge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was shocked that a book about the history of the American public education system could be as fascinating as this book was. Tyack sees the underlying narrative threads behind American education and ties them together with the ebb and flow of public attitudes surrounding issues of race, poverty, and social class in a way that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

He focuses on the ways in which the agreed-upon purpose of public schooling has changed over America’s 240-year history, as well as the ways that purpose has defined the structure and organization of educational institutions - all with an eye towards the ways in which education has been used to privilege certain classes of students while disadvantaging others. The book manages to be both comprehensive and breezy - no mean achievement, given the scope.

My only hesitance about giving a full-throated endorsement of the book is that the author tends, at times, to veer from his overall mission into editorialized, political territory. Even though he and I clearly vote the same way, I found the constant injection of his own political voice a bit tedious, especially as I approached the end of the book. By the end, I found myself skimming whole pages, because the actual history portion of the writing seemed to have dried up, in favor of repetitive, education policy proselytizing.

Overall, though, it was an excellent, beneficial read.

[Ceci | winstonandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

But so long as school resources continue to reflect the gross inequalities of wealth and income in this country, major achievement gaps will persist between the prosperous and the poor, and too many students will continue to be, now as in the past, "thoroughly trained in failure."

A really good overview of the history of the American public school system, its purpose, and the problems it has faced and also perpetuated since its inception. Tyack approaches the topic through several lenses, although I do wish there were some areas he would have gone into more detail. I think this book is best suited for someone who is at least somewhat well versed in American history - it's easier to see the parallels of what was going on during the country compared to what was going on with public schools, and he does sort of skim over some topics that someone without a lot of background knowledge on American history might want some more detail on (example: Indian Boarding Schools). But, this book is a good starting point to understand the history of the American public school system, and Tyack's writing makes the small and large problems our public schools face clear, while effectively tracing these problems back through history. A good starting point and read for someone interested in understanding the issue more.

[Aidan Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally had to read part of this book for college. I probably would not have read it otherwise. I read a couple chapters and looked at summaries for the rest during the semester, but I read the whole thing cover to cover over Christmas.

It’s a good survey of the public education system in the US, and a quick read. Definitely worth reading if you want an accessible overview of the state of US education and its history. He doesn’t try to make any groundbreaking convoluted overarching narrative claims, which I appreciate. His only bias seems to be a general pro public school bias, which he acknowledges and he is critical. His analysis is well-rounded and non-partisan

It is potentially outdated at this point in 2024 with the emergence of computer skills as an essential technical skill in schools and online educational resources that permeate students’ experience today.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent review of the history of schools, looking particularly at issues of the democratic aspect of the contention among ethnic and religious groups over the purpose and contest of schools, as well as issues of governance. He tackles the issue of public schools as a public good.

[Jessie Jaeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overvirw of the history of public education in the United States

[homo depot]

no rating bc read for school

[Marin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for a class on Education. Analysis was good on the subject, but not to my interest unfortunately.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although fairly dense at some parts, this book was a great beginner's look at the history of the American public school. It addresses both the political and religious impacts on schools, and the issue of being able to address the social needs of students in schools. It provides a real look at the purpose of public school, and educates the reader on how students of different cultural and social backgrounds have fared in the public school and why. It's a fairly quick read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's even remotely interested in the subject.