Keeping School: Letters to Families from Principals of Two Small Schools

by Deborah Meier, Theodore R. Sizer, Nancy Faust Sizer

Education reformers Deborah Meier, Theodore R. Sizer, and Nancy Faust Sizer have published books that have helped shape a movement. As school principals, all three have done another kind of writing as well: short essays in their own schools' newsletters to families.

Keeping School collects the best of these wonderfully readable gems of education writing-from an urban public elementary school and an exurban charter high school-along with new essays. Together, the letters form a portrait of what schools can look like when they are based on the authors' understandings of learning, community, authority, and standards.

Genres: Education

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in progressive school reform in America this is a good read--written by two of the biggest names of the contemporary progressive education movement. This is a compilations of letters to families written by Meier and the Sizers as principals of their respective schools. It is divided into four themes. Meier and the Sizers trade off with introductory essays to each theme. It then follows a selection of letters with prefacing remarks from the two schools.

[Ellen Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids (who go to Parker School) read sections of this for their summer reading assignment, but I read the whole book. Much of what was said was old hat for me, but there were some novel perspectives voiced and some very inspirational quotes. I may need to re-read some sections with a highlighter in hand.

[Kate McNierney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Parker school's summer reading book. I ordered this throuugh Amazon and have read about half of it so far. A lot of food for thought on education and community. good book, but I did not read beyond the assigned reading.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many interesting ideas. I enjoyed it, but wouldn't have chosen it if it hadn't been required reading for my son last year