John Dewey and the War of Ideas in American Education

There is a widespread sense that something is deeply wrong with American public education. In this session, Jon Fennell suggests that the quality of public education is a function of the ideas upon which it is built. Therefore, if public education is failing, that is because of the ideas that control it. What are those and what alternatives exist? Many critics of education assert that John Dewey is a primary source of bad ideas that are crippling our schools. To what degree is this allegation accurate and fair?

Jon Fennell

Jon Fennell is Dean of Social Sciences and Director of Teacher Education at Hillsdale College.