March 28, 2024

Deborah Meier & Ted Sizer Resources

Deborah Meier will & Ted Sizer in 2004
From http://archive.communitymusicworks.org/Symposiumphotos.htm

During Gary Stager’s recent Ask Me Anything session with Deborah Meier, her Habits of Mind and Ted Sizer‘s Essential Principles for schools (especially secondary schools) were discussed. Watch a recording of the Ask Me Anything session, here.

Deborah Meier’s website

Deborah Meier’s Bridging Differences column with Diane Ravitch, et al.

Books by Deborah Meier

Documentaries made about Central Park East elementary and secondary schools, founded by Deborah Meier.

Deborah Meier’s Five Habits of Mind, as originally explored in the book, The Power of Their Ideas: Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem.

  1. Evidence – asking, “How do you know?”
  2. Connections – asking, “How is this connected to something else I already know or care about?”
  3. Perspective or Viewpoint – asking, “From whose perspective is this story being told?”
  4. Conjecture – asking, “How can I imagine a different outcome?”, and
  5. Relevance – asking, “Why is this important?”

Read and watch how the habits of mind are employed at Boston’s Mission Hill School

Books by Ted Sizer, including Horace’s Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School (all three volumes of the Horace trilogy are essential reading)

The Ten Common Principles of Essential Schools (by Ted Sizer), complete with explanations

The Coalition of Essential Schools website

The Coalition of Essential Schools Remembers Ted Sizer

Click to download PDF poster