Families’ choice of school for their children is not the only kind of choice that matters educationally. It may well not be the most important kind, either. We heard from parents in Episode 4 who were concerned with whether or not their kids learned to think and act for themselves, and in the process, to take responsibility for who they were in the world. What do educators think about this?

When educators wrestle with questions of student choice and responsibility, the differences revolve around when and how much -- and almost never about whether choice and responsibility matter. But the broad strokes of what we know are clear in research and in our discussion here: choice motivates student interest and effort, choice forms the ground for taking responsibility, and choice is both ground for and marker of shared life in a democratic community.

00:00 Introduction to the Second Season Dr. Barbara Stengel

01:24 Choice generates motivation, responsibility, and democracy Stengel

03:51 Introductions Anna Bernstein, middle level English teacher/coach; Sara Sjerven, independent school English teacher/coach; Liz Self, high school English teacher

08:11 So what about choice? Links to teachers’ autonomy, curricular constraints and self-censorship Bernstein, Stengel, Sjerven

17:07 Choice as simple respect for students Self

21:50 Choice is both challenging and necessary for learning Bernstein, Sjerven

26:18 Why choice? Community of learners Stengel, Sjerven

30:10 Why choice? Other people in all their glory! Self

33:30 Why choice? The purpose of public school in a democracy Bernstein, Stengel

36:55 Bring on responsibility (gender, time, desire, perspective) Self, Stengel, Sjerven

41:35 Whose choices? Whose agency? Whose responsibility? Sjerven, Stengel

44:30 Disillusionment is understandable; is response possible? Bernstein

46:55 What’s privilege got to do with it? Students’ economic value Sjerven, Stengel,

50:03 Does responsibility precede choice? Sjerven, Bernstein

53:16 The continuous enlargement of the space of the possible Self

56:40 Supports for teachers who design for choice? Stengel, Bernstein, Sjerven,

63:39 Community, creativity and trust for teachers Stengel

66:20 This is the end of Season 2. Join us in the fall for Season 3!

Many thanks to the committed and accomplished teachers who agreed to inform our thinking for this episode! These include Anna Bernstein, Sara Sjerven, and Liz Self.

As usual, there are references to a variety of social, educational and historical news and commentary. You can pursue our sources and find out more about these issues at our website:

www.chasingbaileypod.com.