The Importance of Being Urban : Designing the Progressive School District, 1890-1940 / David A. Gamson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gamson, David A., Author.

Series:

Historical studies of urban America.

Chicago scholarship online.

Historical Studies of Urban America

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Urban schools--United States--History--20th century.

Urban schools.

School districts--United States--History--20th century.

School districts.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (341 pages).

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, [2019]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

From the 1890s through World War II, the greatest hopes of American progressive reformers lay not in the government, the markets, or other seats of power but in urban school districts and classrooms. The Importance of Being Urban focuses on four western school systems-in Denver, Oakland, Portland, and Seattle-and their efforts to reconfigure public education in the face of rapid industrialization and the perceived perils [GDA1] of the modern city. In an era of accelerated immigration, shifting economic foundations, and widespread municipal shake-ups, reformers argued that the urban school district could provide the broad blend of social, cultural, and educational services needed to prepare students for twentieth-century life. These school districts were a crucial force not only in orchestrating educational change, but in delivering on the promise of democracy. David A. Gamson's book provides eye-opening views of the histories of American education, urban politics, and the Progressive Era.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: District Progressives and the Progressive School District

1. The Race for Urban Status

2. The Plans and Principles of District Progressivism

3. Educating Efficient Citizens in Oakland, California

4. Pioneering Practice in the Public Schools of Denver, Colorado

5. Competing Visions for a Progressive Portland, Oregon

6. Evolution Not Revolution in the Public Schools of Seattle, Washington

7. Conclusion: Designing the Democratic School District

List of Archives, Libraries, and Collections Consulted

Notes

Index

Notes:

Previously issued in print: 2019.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 06. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9780226634685

022663468X

OCLC:

1104837827