Educator consults on PBS series

Gordon

or historian and educator Lynn Gordon, associate professor at the Warner School and of history, this week's PBS television series School marks her debut as a script consultant on the history of schooling--a topic present-day parents and communities sometimes think began with them.

"Beyond Brown v. Board of Education, most people don't know much about the history of schooling and all the conflicts and issues involved," says Gordon. "Ever since schools became a mass institution, there have been controversies about what students should study, should they have vocational education, and all the issues we hear about today."

When Gordon was president of the History of Education Society almost 10 years ago, two women sought her advice as they envisioned a television special that would chronicle the story of universal public education in America from colonial times to the present. Over the years, Gordon received scripts to critique and offered feedback for revisions, which were new experiences for her.

"They wanted their work to be historically accurate with all the subtleties and yet appeal to a general audience," says Gordon. "There are interviews with leading historians, a great deal of photography, and archival material. From what I've read and seen, it's pretty good."

School: The Story of American Public Education is being shown nationwide on PBS stations. Actress Meryl Streep, whose brother teaches in a New York City public high school, narrates the four-part series.

A public engagement campaign will follow the airing of School, its creators say, to spark discussions about the role of public schools in American life. Gordon believes that the series offers a perfect introduction for such useful conversations.

"I can see this showing at a town meeting and continuing the dialogue in those forums," says Gordon. "It would be great for that."

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