The University of Chicago is getting back into the education business after dismantling its education department in 2001. This was the department that philosopher John Dewey built, and it was the influence of his theories that eventually led to the demise of the department.
The centerpiece of the education department was the Laboratory School, a place filled with the bright children of university faculty and other professionals. Dewey’s theories worked great in the Laboratory School, but failed everywhere else, especially in public schools. In the end, the department was incapable of finding solutions to the serious problems facing Chicago city schools and the administration closed the department to save face.
The revival of the department seeks to refocus their efforts on assisting the city schools, but it will likely retain a bias against school choice and other accountability measures. (This bias is also a product of Dewey’s philosophy.) Thus, we can expect little from the new University of Chicago education department. Then again, we are used to expecting little from it, so there is little chance that we will be disappointed.
