Middle Grades Review

Volume 5 Article 2
Issue 3 Democracy in Middle Grades Education

December 2019

This is What Democracy Looks Like: Some

Thoughts on Democratic Schools
James A. Beane
jbeane1@me.com

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Beane, J. A. (2019). This is What Democracy Looks Like: Some Thoughts on Democratic Schools. Middle
Grades Review, 5(3). https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/mgreview/vol5/iss3/2

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 Beane: This is What Democracy Looks Like

This is What Democracy Looks Like:

Some Thoughts on Democratic Schools

James Beane

INTRODUCTION “vulgar” democracy defined as consumers

having lots of choices in a free market. Those
I was really glad to hear that Middle Grades uses of the term not only diminish the moral
Review was gearing up for an issue on dimensions of democracy but are frequently
democracy in schools. There was a time when used to avoid them.
quite a bit of writing was done on that topic,
from classroom accounts to general education To create, maintain, or renew the kind of
theory; but, in recent years, interest in democracy I am thinking of would require that
democratic schools seems to have faded. This is people aspire to a number of skills and related
not surprising since ascendant conservative predispositions. For example, we would need to
politics has sought to replace democracy know how to use our voices in identifying issues,
everywhere with authoritarian populism. The to work together in constructive ways, to make
place I hear the term most consistently used plans for resolving social problems, to think
these days is signs and chants at protest events reflectively and critically, to gather accurate
proclaiming, “This is what democracy looks information from a variety of sources, to
like!” I like that idea for a protest theme, but I communicate ideas and findings, and more. We
have also found myself thinking, “It is? Is this would also need to respect the ideas and
what democracy looks like?” opinions of others, be able to work across
cultures, understand how their own fate is tied
The “democracy” I imagine is a public up in the fate of others, care about equity, and
democracy, committed to human dignity, a believe that people are capable for collectively
common good, social justice, and equity. It is resolving the problems and issues society faces.
also committed to creative individuality in which
people have the right to think for themselves, to Since we are not born hardwired with these
be fully informed about the important issues of values and skills we must have opportunities to
the day, to hold beliefs of their own choosing, to learn them. While each of us has many
have a say in what and how things are done, to influences in our lives, the one place almost all
pursue personal aspirations and growth, to be of us share in common is schools. So, it is here
free from oppression, and to experience just and that society has the best chance to promote
equitable treatment. And, too, it is committed to democratic values and skills among young
social responsibility by which people understand people so that they might learn the democratic
their obligation to collaborate in resolving way of life. The only way this can happen is if the
community problems, to seek accurate people who work in and around schools
information about social and political topics, to intentionally try to make them democratic
promote justice and equity, and to act in ways places.
that generally enhance the quality of social,
political, and economic life of the larger society. Imagining a Democratic School
This definition is different from what often
passes for democracy in contemporary use. It is I have come to think of this process as having
not a “naïve” democracy that presumes two dimensions. One is the principles of
democracy is only a process, that voting in democracy and the associated skills and values
elections, for example is all that is required to they suggest. The other is the idea that there
secure the common good. Nor is it a “private” or may be many ways of bringing those overriding
“self-interested” democracy defined by the principles to life in a school or classroom. Over
often-heard phrase, “I can do whatever I want . . the long history of theory and practice around
. this is a democracy.” And it is certainly not the democratic schools, certain broadly defined

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 Middle Grades Review, Vol. 5, Iss. 3 [2019], Art. 2

practices have emerged to suggest some general • The curriculum would be collaboratively
ideas of what we could expect to see within them planned by students and teachers as
in varying forms. often as possible. Since having a voice
and having it count for something is a
At the whole-school level, for example, we might hallmark of democracy, participation in
expect to find a democratic culture built around identifying possible themes and
arrangements like the following. activities, selecting resources, assessing
work, and so on is crucial to the concept
• Policies and procedures created and of a democratic curriculum.
carried out so as to maintain the dignity • Problems and issues, along with related
of adults and young people at all times. projects and other activities, would serve
• Teacher placements, schedules, as the context for teaching and learning
resources, and the like arranged so as to content and skills, just as they do in
give all students access to the most democratic life, rather than in abstract
highly qualified teachers, the best or disconnected subject areas.
practices, and the most important • Knowledge from disciplines would be
outcomes available in the school. integrated as it is brought to bear on
• Recognition of diversity among students problems and issues and, if necessary,
and staff celebrated as an asset rather taught directly in the context of the issue
than considered as a problem. being explored. Day-to-day schedules
• Policy making groups such as leadership and activities would be organized
teams with broad representation from around whatever projects or problems
constituencies within the school and students are working on within a theme.
from the larger community. • Work on problems and issues would
• Collaborative problem-solving around examine the values questions they raise.
school issues would be done by students Exploration of environmental or
and adults together through action economic issues, for example, would
research groups, issue centered include related matters of social justice.
committees, and the like. These opportunities to reflect on
• Professional development organized personal and social values are crucial if
around questions and concerns rising we expect young people to integrate
out of classrooms and primarily led by democratic values into actual behavior.
teachers themselves. • As problems and issues are drawn from
• Emphasis placed on bringing students contemporary life, knowledge and
together in heterogeneous rather than experience from sources beyond the
homogenous groups, elimination of disciplines of knowledge would be
tracking, and inclusion of students with integrated into the curriculum. These
disabilities. would include cultural histories, popular
• Formal structures for conflict resolution culture, and students’ personal
such as restorative circles used knowledge. Content from all sources
whenever possible. would be open to critical examination.
• To be consistent with life and learning in
The general education program meant for all the larger world, a premium would be
students would include specific versions of placed on collaboration and interaction
arrangements and practices that are associated with space for collective and individual
with democratic life. action. All students in a class or on a
team would take on the same problem
• The curriculum would include space for or issue while differentiation would be
units exploring issues and concerns of offered as they work on different kinds
young people themselves as well those of projects or tasks within the common
found in the larger world. In this way theme.
students might broaden and deepen • As much as possible, assessment would
their understanding of themselves and be based on students’ individual and
their world, as well as see how their own group reflection about their work and
present and future self-interests are tied growth. Learning would be
to the fate of the common good. demonstrated through authentic

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 Beane: This is What Democracy Looks Like

activities like portfolios, project students for various kinds of self-interested

exhibitions, and community action. advancements, like college admission and career
• Teachers would be active participants preparation. The fierce competition this involves
and informed participants, responsible is supported by people inside the school as well
for listening carefully to young people, as parents, business leaders, and others on the
suggesting directions for their ideas, outside. Ideas like equity and inclusion are seen
bringing a broader perspective to issues, as threats to privileged social and economic
creating projects and other activities, groups who have traditionally dominated
teaching needed content and skills, and academic rankings. In this way, there is often a
offering feedback about individual and lot of local pressure on schools not to use
group work. democratic practices that promote equitable
outcomes. Indeed, if communities-at-large
Many specific curriculum and policy revisions sincerely meant to promote democracy in
we have seen over the past few decades offer schools, there would not be so many examples of
excellent examples of democratic efforts. For segregated neighborhood schools, inequitable
example, revisions around race, class, and funding, and loopholes that allow privileged
gender equity are enormous steps toward families to distance themselves from people who
democratic schools as they more fully and fairly are poor and of color.
treat non-dominant and marginalized cultures
and groups. So, too, are the various efforts to Another point of resistance is that democracy
include some student voice in school policy. In tends to be fairly messy. Things like
my view, though, we must sooner or later come participatory decision-making and collaborative
to question the very form of the dominant problem-solving take time and often seem
curriculum. The discipline-based separate tedious. For those who like order and
subject organization that derives from the high- convenience in school matters, democracy does
culture world of academics is alienating and not seem like a good choice for a governing
exclusionary to many students, particularly philosophy. Finally, almost everything about
those from non-privileged backgrounds. And for education these days seems to be judged in
even more students it is so remote from terms of individual earning power and labor
everyday life as to be inaccessible. Simply market needs, from the value of particular
offering access to this kind of curriculum or subjects to the ranking of schools by student test
mediating it with clever motivational tricks is scores. In this environment there is practically
not enough when its very form hinders equal no chance whatsoever that we might see
access to school outcomes for many. Thus, if we something like “intentional use of democratic
really mean to bring democracy to life in schools, practices” among the ranking criteria.
we will need to take seriously the whole
collection of general practices listed above. In my experience, democratic practices are
much more likely to be found in individual
Dilemmas and Quandaries in Democratic classrooms or teaching teams than across whole
Schooling schools. This means that such practices may be
difficult, but not impossible in a school setting.
If the case for democratic schools can so readily Why, then, do not more teachers find ways to
be made, as it has for more than a century, why use democratic practices where possible in the
are such schools so hard to find? Certainly one classroom spaces over which they do have some
answer at present is that democracy in all social control? Likewise, why do not more school
institutions is under duress around the world administrators promote and support democratic
with the rise of authoritarian populism. But even practices in their schools? It is hard to believe
at times when politicians and policy makers that they have never heard of democratic schools
were more friendly toward democracy, and classrooms since the idea is almost always
democratic schools were not all that common. included in the rhetoric of teacher education
Given that fact, we are also forced to look inside programs.
the schools for some answers.
For some, no doubt, avoiding democratic
Some of the inside resistance to democratic practices has to do with fear of losing control.
schools is fairly easy to name. For example, Though one would think they would eventually
schools are generally set up to sort and select figure out that constantly fighting with young
people who resent autocratic control takes a lot

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 Middle Grades Review, Vol. 5, Iss. 3 [2019], Art. 2

more effort than when students believe they should not expect to be part of those decisions. I
have a reasonable and legitimate say in what should have a right to evaluate teachers
happens in their classrooms and schools. Other whenever I like and using whatever criteria I
educators may sense that democracy is just plain define.
harder work though again, what could be more
difficult than trying to figure out how to manage I really do not want to believe that such
a group of disenfranchised young people who see reasoning is possible by professional educators
little value in what the school offers them? in a democratic society. But how else to explain
phrases like “my classroom” and “my school”
Beyond those reasons, though, is something that and the behaviors that follow from them.
has been troubling me for a long time – and that Imagining the possible reasoning involved may
is the possibility that some educators really do seem like a harsh exercise, especially at a time
believe that young people are not entitled to when so much disrespect is being thrown at
democratic experiences in schools and so educators by so many people outside schools.
intentionally avoid democratic practices. More But I have arrived at this point out of frustration
than once I have actually heard professionally as the stakes for democracy have become higher
licensed educators say things like, “This is not a and higher.
democracy, it’s my classroom” or “I’m the
principal, I make the decisions around here.” If External criticism and personal teaching “styles”
they mean what they say, it must be possible to cannot forever be enough to excuse us from
make a case against schools as democratic trying to create democratic schools. If we
places. What kind of reasoning could they supposedly live in a democratic society, then the
possibly use? values and practices associated with the
democratic way of life should be evident across
If I am that teacher, I would have to believe that our social institutions. I believe that now, in the
though our society in general is supposed to be a midst of authoritarian populism and increasing
democracy, my classroom is somehow exempt social and economic stratification, educators are
from that expectation. The values and practices obligated more than ever to try to bring those
of the democratic way of life stop at my values and practices to life in the school. Again,
classroom door and do not extend to young this is the one place where we bring together
people. For example, I have no moral obligation virtually all young people and thus the one and
to uphold the dignity of my students or treat best place to promote the democratic way of life.
them in an equitable manner, nor am I obliged If we, as educators, do not feel obligated in this
to give them a say in making decisions in my way then we are simply leaving democracy to
classroom. I have no obligation to arrange chance.
collaborative problem-solving experiences and,
in fact, I have every right to encourage self- The Case for the Middle Grades
interest and competitive activities. Moreover, my
students should accept what I tell them about In considering the possibilities for democratic
my subject or the world in general, as well as practices in the middle grades, advocates should
what is in the resources I tell them to use. They remember at least three factors in support of
should not expect to question me or those their efforts. First, while many parents and
resources. Finally, my students should accept my school officials expect the middle grades to
judgment as to the value of their work. They simply offer junior versions of the subject-
should not expect to have any say or skill in centered, highly stratified high school, many
judging their own work or what goes on in my others do recognize that young adolescents are
classroom. not necessarily ready for that kind of approach
(as if most high school students are either).
If I am that principal, I would have to believe Thus, middle grades educators may well have
that the teachers in the school are simply more opportunities than they think to make
employees rather than professional educators room for the kind of curriculum described
and should not expect to be treated otherwise. I above. It is also the case that many parents did
should have a right to make all executive not exactly have positive experiences themselves
decisions about policies and practices in the in the middle grades and are pleased when they
school and they should not expect to have a say. find their children experiencing equity and
I should have a right to assign teachers to any dignity through democratic structures. And what
space, place, or team in the school and they could be better than having your child answer

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 Beane: This is What Democracy Looks Like

the question, “What did you do in school today?” Author’s note: I have purposely chosen not to
with a project description rather than the usual include references in the text as I was only trying
“nothing.” to express some ideas that occur to me now after
50 years thinking about democratic schools. If I
The second favorable factor is that many middle had used references, I am certain that among
schools are still organized around some kind of others I would have cited the following
teaming. This means that teachers can more repeatedly: John Dewey’s Democracy and
easily carry out projects and other activities in a Education and Experience and Education,
larger block of time, collaboratively plan for Gertrude Noar’s Teaching and Learning the
integrating subject area knowledge, take on Democratic Way, Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of
multiple roles in relation to projects, and plan the Oppressed, Rosalind Zapf’s Democratic
with multiple perspectives. In addition, the idea Processes in the Secondary School, Roland
of a democratic community can operate on a Faunce and Nelson Bossing’s Developing the
scale larger than in a single classroom. Finally, Core Curriculum, the collection of school and
and importantly, teaming offers an opportunity classroom stories Michael Apple and I edited in
for teachers inclined toward democratic Democratic Schools: Lessons in Powerful
practices to create a place where they can work Education, and, selfishly, my own book, A
with like-minded colleagues in a school where Reason to Teach. At the middle level specifically,
the rest of the staff balks at such practices. I would have had to include sources like Mark
Springer’s Soundings, Barbara Brodhagen’s
The third advantage has to do with young essay in the Democratic Schools book previously
adolescents themselves. Anyone who has spent cited, and many of the other classroom accounts
any time with them is sure to know that they are of democratic education that have appeared over
famous for reacting to one or another situation, the years. And, of course, that list would have
large or small, with an indignant, “That’s not included the number of papers that have
fair!” And they are usually ready to offer a long appeared on the topic more recently in places
list of reasons to defend their position. Annoying like Middle Grades Review.
as these episodes may sometimes be, they are
nevertheless a demonstration that young
adolescents are ready, willing, and able to take
on questions of values, from those in everyday
events to matters of social and economic justice.
This kind of clue should encourage middle
grades educators to find more space for the kind
of democratic pedagogy described earlier. And if
we believe that young adolescents are too
immature to take on serious social issues, that
they are merely “hormones with feet,” we are
turning a blind eye to the fact that more and
more of them confront those issues every day. In
the end, it is not a question of whether they are
ready to take on big issues but of whether we are
interested in helping them do so. If only more
teachers and administrators would do that, we
could be back on the path toward democratic
schools in the middle grades. We might even
reach a point where we could say, “This is what
democracy looks like!”

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