School with a View

A School with a View: Teachers' Work, Social Justice and 21st Century Schools looks at the work of teachers, covering its history and its current state. The book begins from the belief that public schools need to be dynamic now more than ever, as they face attacks from individuals and groups who put private interests first and overlook the needs of a rapidly changing, diverse society.

More importantly, it offers a critical analysis intended to prepare the ground for moving forward. It sets out a vision of the part teachers must play in transforming 21st century schools so that social justice is their first priority. Citing Steven Covey's advice to begin with the end in mind, the author argues that a vision for the teaching profession and for public schools is urgently needed. Schools are struggling, she says, and too often fall back on familiar responses rooted in histories that no longer fit today's situation. Those responses only slow the growing pile of data on public school failures and the blame placed on teachers, who lack the power to change the structure and hierarchy of public learning spaces.

Central to the book is a sustained discussion of how the present realities of teachers' work intersect with school reform. Its critical analysis of teachers' roles is meant to help shape a vision of what must happen if public schools are to survive, adapt, and meet the demands of a 21st century democratic society.