Telling new stories about school

Abstract

Contemporary societies frame education through cultural narratives about schooling’s purposes and practices. Societal stories about school are not just reflective of our current views and values, but shape our political preferences and the realities that result from them. Stories of the traditional common school and its more collectivist, shared culture are giving way to newer stories oriented around competition and choice. Telling new stories which foreground the public or shared purposes of public education may lead to choosing candidates and backing policies that better serve our children and our communities.