n learn, why should Central Park East be equated with Lourdes? It shouldn't. Central Park East and the 50 or so New York City schools modeled on it were not handed down from heaven. As Meier tells it, they were the product of hard work done by groups of teachers coming together voluntarily around a common philosophy: The Power of Their Ideas is part journal, part handbook for the next generation of caring, innovative teachers who aren't sure if or how it can be done, and part treatise on democracy and education, taking on the why's, not just the how's of schooling. "For us," says Meier, "a democratic community was the nonnegotiable purpose of good schooling."Meier has written an engaging, informative account of the two decades she spent pioneering, experimenting with, and ultimately creating a highly successful educational program. This collection of her writings includes journal entries, articles, and memos that summarize her struggle to create and manage great inner-city schools. Most of all, however, Meier's book is a wake-up call to citizens and educators--about taking education seriously and accepting mutual responsibility for the future of the next generation. ...
