Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession
Channel: New America
Date: 2014-09-16

Teacher Wars
A History of America's Most Embattled Profession 

The expectations on public school teachers are lofty and demanding. Historically, American public school teaching developed as an explicitly anti-intellectual, working class job. Yet at the same time that we paid public school teachers poorly, policed their political activity, and prevented them from influencing the curriculum, we asked them to eradicate poverty and inequality—a staggering expectation.

In her new book, The Teacher Wars, Goldstein shows that the same issues have continued to bedevil us for decades: Who should teach? What should be taught? Who should be held accountable for how our children learn? While exploring the past, Goldstein lays out a framework for moving forward and putting an end to the "teacher wars" once and for all.

New America fellow and author Dana Goldstein, Slate staff writer Jamelle Bouie, and New America's Kevin Carey held a conversation on Goldstein's new book The Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession.

Join the conversation online using #teacherwars and following @NewAmerica.

Participants

Dana Goldstein
Author, The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession

Jamelle Bouie
Staff Writer, Slate

Moderator:
Kevin Carey
Director, Education Policy Program, New America