What Is Democratic Education?

In a time of for-profit schooling, continuing segregation, racism, book banning, unconscionable inequality, and antiquated approaches to pedagogy, the prescription for democratic schooling seems daunting. Yet the path is clear: We need to change society to enable democracy in schools; we need democratic schooling to bring the public out of its eclipse; and we need an engaged citizenry to address seemingly insurmountable challenges. Considerations such as this led the Schools journal to inaugurate this Symposium on Democratic Education in the Twenty-First Century. We recognize the magnitude of the task and make no claims to offer a complete or final solution. Nevertheless, the experiences reported in this and subsequent issues shine a light that aids along their path.