The Power of Their Ideas: The Promise of Public Education

Reflection on the Book "The Power of Their Ideas"
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The Promise of Public Education
In the book "The Power of Their Ideas" by Deborah Meier, it is depicted that public schools can be reformed if various parties are ready to make the needed change in the education system. In the book, a group of determined teachers impacted the education system by changing their methods of teaching from one that was rigid, which was meant to suit every student, to a child-centered approach (Meier, 1995). In this approach, the needs of the students are given the importance they deserve as they acquire their education. Meier (1995) demonstrates the multiple advantages arising from adopting the private school teaching approach and redefining it so that it can suit a public school. Thus, Meier notes in this book that, despite economic factors, there is hope for students who receive an education in a public school.
The Main Argument in Favor of Public Education
In the book, Meier portrays that the transformation of students' lives who studied in a public school in a poor district of Harlem was possible due to the adoption of a student-centered teaching approach. According to Meier (1995), the major issue in public schools was many students, and the focus was not on every student issue. Rather, the objective was to ensure that students just excelled in their exams. However, better learning outcomes are seen in students through the conscious establishment and organization of a school that positively influences the learning atmosphere. Consequently, through the new approach adopted, children become more responsible individuals who have knowledge of what they want in the future and how their actions can jeopardize or create this dream. As a result, rather than increasing the level of poverty and racism in public schools, schools helped to create a mindset of economic empowerment among children.
The Link between Democracy and Public Schooling
It is easy to see the link that exists between democracy and public schooling by looking at what Meier explains as her experience with children in public schools in East Harlem. In public schools, the education system's adoption aims at equalizing students, and the effects are dire because, instead of teaching each student based on their uniqueness, students are seen as equal (Meier, 1995). The effect is that poor academic performance is reflected in student education because teachers treat all students as having equal capabilities. According to Meier (1995), every child has the right, whether in a private or public school, to get an education that is both meaningful and challenging as it is acquired. Meier also notes that the advantaged have for the longest time managed to purchase a child-centered education for their children, but that is something that can be found in public schools if individuals are ready to change how they teach students. Thus, the link is that there are many limitations in current educational legislation because the system aims to promote standardization among students. Hence, instead of helping students, it adds more burdens to public schools because children are seen to be the same instead of te...