Democracy’s Schools: The Rise of Public Education in America

Johann Neem’s Democracy’s Schools: The Rise of Public Education in America, from the excellent How Things Worked series, edited by Robin Einhorn and Richard R. John, is a love letter to America’s public education system. Neem begins with a personal recounting of his own experience as an immigrant attending California public schools. He credits the public school system for preparing him for success and Americanizing his family. The author writes “the schools were for all Americans, and the schools helped make us Americans.” (ix) It is a powerful preface and Neem continues the theme throughout the book, explaining the importance of the American public school system in creating citizens prepared for the challenges of democracy