A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Toughest Questions in K–12 Education

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At a time of bitter national polarization, there is a crucial need for leaders who can help us better communicate with one another. In “A Search for Common Ground,” Frederick M. Hess and Pedro A. Noguera, who have often fallen on opposing sides of the ideological aisle over the past couple of decades, candidly talk through their differences on some of the toughest issues in K–12 education today—from school choice to testing to diversity to privatization. They offer a sharp, honest debate that digs deep into their disagreements, enabling them to find a surprising amount of common ground along the way. Written as a series of back-and-forth exchanges, this engaging book illustrates a model of responsible, civil debate between those with substantial, principled differences. It is also a powerful meditation on where 21st-century school improvement can and should go next.

To hear Hess and Noguera carry on the conversation, listen to their podcast, “Common Ground: Conversations on Schooling,” in which the two talk through the pressing education issues of the moment.

Hess and Noguera discuss several of the topics from the book in a video series that can be found here.

Read Hess and Noguera’s reflection for Phi Delta Kappan on “Lessons learned from a search for common ground.”

Watch “A Search for Common Ground,” a panel discussion hosted by ExcelinEd.

Watch Hess and Noguera discuss how schools can better learn from each other, the impact of technology on education, and more, in a roundtable discussion for the EdTech Evidence Exchange.

Watch Hess and Noguera’s C-SPAN interview on education policy and the importance of having civil discussions.

Read Stefanie Sanford’s interview of Hess and Noguera, “Debating Education Without the Flamethrowing,” for The College Board’s “The Elective.”

Read Chelsea Sheasley’s interview of Hess and Noguera for the Christian Science Monitor: “Civil debate about education? Two opponents offer a blueprint.”

Read a review published in the National Association of Secondary School Principal’s Principal Leadership magazine, and another review published in the Journal of Education Policy.

Praise for “A Search for Common Ground”

“One of the great challenges in education improvement today is how often our political fights and ideological polarization get in the way of doing what’s best for kids. Rick and Pedro perform a civil service wading into our toughest educational disputes and show that respectful engagement can surface principled common ground.”

—Gov. Jeb Bush, founder and chair, ExcelinEd

“We are stronger, and smarter, when we work together. We reach better results when we listen to one another. This courageous conversation about how we leverage and work through our differences of opinion to produce meaningful improvements for students, families, and educators is a template for our nation and for school communities all across the United States. If we commit to the work of respecting one another enough to listen and learn, as Dr. Noguera and Dr. Hess have done here, we can indeed break through the polarization that too often hampers our progress and create a better system for learning in our country.”

—Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

“If you despair that our public schools are beyond repair, read this book. If you despair that people of widely divergent views can no longer debate them without rancor, read this book. (If neither of these thoughts are bothering you, do a little homework and then read it!)”

—Gov. Mitch Daniels, president, Purdue University

“Charter advocates are destroying public schools! Teacher unions keep kids mired in mediocrity! Welcome to our ugly ‘debate’ about American education, which too often devolves into the same name-calling and demagoguery that has infected the rest of our body politic. But it doesn’t have to be that way. When it comes to education, Americans agree much more than our polarized political rhetoric would suggest—and where they disagree, they can still find civil ways to speak across their differences. That’s precisely what Rick Hess and Pedro Noguera demonstrate in this sharp and perceptive book. Let’s hope the rest of us can follow their example.”

—Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of history of education, University of Pennsylvania

“This is a book for our times: a back-and-forth between two leading thinkers on important, complicated education policy issues. Its real value, beyond its content, is the way Rick and Pedro engage to learn. By sharing experiences and data, delving deeply to understand each other’s motivations, and seeking areas of agreement without papering over disagreements, they model the policy conversations we need today.”

—Rajiv Vinnakota, president, Institute for Citizens and Scholars

“It’s nice to read an exchange between two leading scholars on the issues education leaders must contend with. Thoughtful and engaging, readers will find this book useful for understanding the complex challenges facing schools today.”

—Austin Beutner, superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District

“This book is a master class in breaking through the silos that polarize education reform and breaking down why they exist in the first place. It should be required reading for any education leader, graduate student, or parent who seeks to understand the complexity of school improvement. It weaves political philosophy, politics, and the perils of implementation together in an infinitely readable volume.”

—Celine Coggins, executive director, Grantmakers for Education

“We don’t agree on everything—and that is the point of the book. We can have vigorous debates, see each other’s perspective, learn from the conversation, and, where possible, find common ground to advance excellence and equity for kids.”

—Elisa Villanueva Beard, CEO, Teach for America