Includes bibliographical references.

The case for democratic schools / James A. Beane, Michael W. Apple -- Central Park East Secondary School : The hard part of making it happen / Deborah Meier, Paul Schwartz -- Beyond the shop: Revinventing vocational education / Larry Rosenstock, Adria Steinberg -- La Escuela Fratney: A journey toward democracy / Bob Peterson -- The situation made us special / Barbara L. Brodhagen -- Lessons from democratic schools / Michael W. Apple, James A. Beane.

In Democratic Schools, you'll see how educators in four communities in the United States have committed themselves to preparing students for the democratic way of life. Editors Michael Apple and Jame Beane have gathered here narratives written by those intimately involved in each school reform effort. These stories of change attest to the power of people working together to overcome difficulties and achieve common goals in creative ways. At a time when the viability of public schools is being questioned by many, the schools in this book--Central Park East Secondary School, the Rindge School of Technical Arts, Marquette Middle Schook, and La Escuela Fratney--remind us that public schools play an important role in laying a firm foundation for our future as a democratic society. Being themselves living models of democratic principles in action, these schools help young people comprehend the meaning of active citizenship and teach them the knowledge and skills they need to sustain and enrich our democracy.