What are the purposes of primary and secondary education in a liberal democracy? Can those purposes be fulfilled in institutional schools? How well are American schools doing? What is right and what is wrong with them? How can they be improved? In this course, students are expected to come to their own thoughtful answers to these questions. To this end, the course will immerse participants in a debate among various critics and defenders of American schools who come from different policy and disciplinary perspectives (economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology). Students will work both individually and in groups. Later in the course they will be asked to apply what they have learned to an actual classroom or school. This course should be particularly relevant to students considering a career in education. (This course can be used to complete the requirement in American politics for political science majors.) Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Enrollment limited.