Progressive pioneers

The Progressive Teacher Blog celebrates pioneers of progressive education in state schools.

Rosa Bassett – As headteacher of the County Secondary School in Streatham (London), Bassett introduced the Dalton Laboratory Plan during the 1920s. She contributed a chapter to Helen Parkhurst’s Eduction on the Dalton Plan in which she explained the success of the experiment.

Stanislav Shatsky – Shatsky set up the First Experimental Station in the Soviet Union where he developed theories on children’s communities and self-direction. He faced personal danger as Stalin’s reaction set in. A selection of Shatsky’s writings are published in A Teacher’s Experience.

Alex Bloom – As headteacher of St George’s-in-the-East (a post-war secondary modern in the East End of London), Bloom established a school in which students and staff created their own rules for community life, curriculum and learning. Read an article on Bloom and the school here.

Deborah Meier – In 1974 Meier was a founder teacher of Central Park East Elementary School (New York City) – a small school that promoted democratic procedures and used a project-based curriculum. Details of Meier’s books, articles, and blog posts can be found here.

Traditionalists’ knowledge deficit

Traditionalists are whipping themselves into a frenzy about progressive education at the moment. Recently the writer of one post fantasised about being Stormtrooper FN-2187 in a Star Wars film taking on the Dark Side of “the majority of educators who support the progressive philosophy of education.” While the post found favour with the UK Schools Minister, many teachers who do not adhere to the traditionalists’ educational straitjacket might be surprised to be labelled as the progressive enemy.

Continue reading “Traditionalists’ knowledge deficit”