Deborah Meier
Encyclopedia
Deborah Meier is an American educator often considered the founder of the modern small schools movement
. After spending several years as a kindergarten teacher in Chicago, Philadelphia and then New York City, in 1974, Meier became the founder and director of the alternative Central Park East school, which embraced progressive ideals in the tradition of John Dewey
in an effort to provide better education for children in East Harlem, within the New York City public school system.
Meier then served as founding principal for two other small public elementary schools, Central Park East II and River East, both in East Harlem. In 1984, with the assistance and support of Ted Sizer
's Coalition of Essential Schools
, Meier founded the Central Park East Secondary School. The success of these schools has been documented in David Bensman's
Central Park East and its Graduates: Learning by Heart (2000), and in Frederick Wiseman's documentary film, "High School II" (1994), among many other publications. In 1987 Meier received a MacArthur Fellowship for her efforts.
After founding and directing the Central Park East Schools in New York City's East Harlem, Meier went on to help establish a network of small high schools in New York City based on progressive principles as part of an Annenberg grant. In 1996 Meier moved to Boston where she became the founding principal of a small K-8 pilot school, Mission Hill, within the Boston Public School system. She is currently on the faculty of New York University
's Steinhardt School of Education
, as senior scholar and adjunct professor as well as Board member and director of New Ventures at Mission Hill, director and advisor to Forum for Democracy and Education, and on the Board of The Coalition of Essential Schools.
Meier documented her story and experience at Central Park East Secondary School in The Power of their Ideas: Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem (1995) ISBN 0-8070-3111-9.
Her other books include, Will Standards Save Public Education? (2000); In Schools We Trust
: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization (2002); with Ted and Nancy Sizer, Keeping School: Letters to Families from Principals of Two Small Schools (2004); and co-edited with George Wood, Many Children Left Behind (2004), all published by Beacon Press. She serves on the editorial boards of The Nation
,
Educational Policy and Dissent
magazines, to which she has contributed many articles, including her essay in the 50th anniversary issue of Dissent,
"On Unions and Education", in which she emphasizes the importance of union collaboration to her success in leading public schools in New York and Boston. Meier regularly speaks and writes on the connections between small schools, democratic education
, education for democracy, progressive education, and public schooling.
Deborah Meier is currently senior scholar at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University. She has participated in a "blog debate" with Steinhardt School colleague Diane Ravitch
on the website of Education Week
since February 26, 2007.http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/
Small schools movement
The small schools movement, also known as the Small Schools Initiative, in the United States of America holds that many high schools are too large and should be reorganized into smaller, autonomous schools of no more than 400 students, and optimally under 200. Many private schools of under 200...
. After spending several years as a kindergarten teacher in Chicago, Philadelphia and then New York City, in 1974, Meier became the founder and director of the alternative Central Park East school, which embraced progressive ideals in the tradition of John Dewey
John Dewey
John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmatism and one of the founders of functional psychology...
in an effort to provide better education for children in East Harlem, within the New York City public school system.
Meier then served as founding principal for two other small public elementary schools, Central Park East II and River East, both in East Harlem. In 1984, with the assistance and support of Ted Sizer
Ted Sizer
Theodore Ryland Sizer was a leader of educational reform in the United States, the founder of the Essential school movement and was known for challenging longstanding practices and assumptions about the functioning of American secondary schools...
's Coalition of Essential Schools
Coalition of Essential Schools
The Coalition of Essential Schools is an organization created to further a type of whole-school reform originally envisioned by founder Ted Sizer in his book, Horace's Compromise. CES began in 1984 with twelve schools; it currently has 600 formal members.-Horace's Compromise:Horace's Compromise...
, Meier founded the Central Park East Secondary School. The success of these schools has been documented in David Bensman's
Central Park East and its Graduates: Learning by Heart (2000), and in Frederick Wiseman's documentary film, "High School II" (1994), among many other publications. In 1987 Meier received a MacArthur Fellowship for her efforts.
After founding and directing the Central Park East Schools in New York City's East Harlem, Meier went on to help establish a network of small high schools in New York City based on progressive principles as part of an Annenberg grant. In 1996 Meier moved to Boston where she became the founding principal of a small K-8 pilot school, Mission Hill, within the Boston Public School system. She is currently on the faculty of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Steinhardt School of Education
Steinhardt School of Education
The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development is one of 16 divisions within New York University and is the oldest professional school of education in the United States.- History :...
, as senior scholar and adjunct professor as well as Board member and director of New Ventures at Mission Hill, director and advisor to Forum for Democracy and Education, and on the Board of The Coalition of Essential Schools.
Meier documented her story and experience at Central Park East Secondary School in The Power of their Ideas: Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem (1995) ISBN 0-8070-3111-9.
Her other books include, Will Standards Save Public Education? (2000); In Schools We Trust
In Schools We Trust
In Schools We Trust is a book written by Deborah Meier and published on August 1, 2002. Meier uses her experiences as a small public school principal to explain her vision of the beset way to organize the American school system. She uses her struggles in creating two new schools in the North East...
: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization (2002); with Ted and Nancy Sizer, Keeping School: Letters to Families from Principals of Two Small Schools (2004); and co-edited with George Wood, Many Children Left Behind (2004), all published by Beacon Press. She serves on the editorial boards of The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
,
Educational Policy and Dissent
Dissent (magazine)
Dissent is a quarterly magazine focusing on politics and culture edited by Michael Walzer and Michael Kazin. The magazine is published for the Foundation for the Study of Independent Social Ideas, Inc by the University of Pennsylvania Press....
magazines, to which she has contributed many articles, including her essay in the 50th anniversary issue of Dissent,
"On Unions and Education", in which she emphasizes the importance of union collaboration to her success in leading public schools in New York and Boston. Meier regularly speaks and writes on the connections between small schools, democratic education
Democratic education
Democratic education is a theory of learning and school governance in which students and staff participate freely and equally in a school democracy...
, education for democracy, progressive education, and public schooling.
Deborah Meier is currently senior scholar at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University. She has participated in a "blog debate" with Steinhardt School colleague Diane Ravitch
Diane Ravitch
Diane Silvers Ravitch is an historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S...
on the website of Education Week
Education Week
Education Week is a United States national newspaper covering K-12 education. It is published by Editorial Projects in Education , a non-profit organization, which is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland...
since February 26, 2007.http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/
External links
- Deborah Meier homepage http://www.deborahmeier.com
- Deborah Meier will be keynoting the 2008 AERO Conference