Principles of a Paideia Education

That all children can learn

That, therefore, they all deserve the same quality of schooling, not just the same quantity

That the quality of schooling to which they are entitled is what the wisest parents would wish for their own children, the best education for the best being the best education for all

That schooling at its best is preparation for becoming generally educated in the course of a whole lifetime, and that schools should be judged on how well they provide such preparation

That the three callings for which schooling should prepare all Americans are a. To earn a decent livelihood, b. To be a good citizen of the nation and world, and c. To make a good life for one's self

That the primary cause of genuine learning is the activity of the learner's own mind, sometimes with the help of a teacher functioning as a secondary and cooperative cause

That the three types of teaching that should occur in our schools are didactic teaching of subject matter, coaching that produces the skills of learning, and Socratic questioning in seminar discussion

That the results of the three types of teaching (didactic, coaching, and seminar facilitation) should be a. The acquisition of organized knowledge, b. The formation of habits of skill in the use of language and mathematics, and c. The growth of the mind's understanding of basic ideas and issues

That each student's achievement of these results would be evaluated in terms of that student's competencies and not solely related to the achievements of other students

That the principal of the school should never be a mere administrator, but always a leading teacher who should be cooperatively engaged with the school's teaching staff in planning, reforming and reorganizing the school as an educational community

That the principal and faculty of a school should themselves be actively engaged in learning; and

That the desire to continue their own learning should be the prime motivation of those who dedicate their lives to the profession of teaching.