1. Essentialism:
“creatingThe Best and theBrightest”
Presented by: Y-Keyla Perry & Pamela Williams

2. “likeperennialists,manyessentialists
emphasizemasteringtheskills,facts,and
conceptsthatformthebasisofthesubject
matter”(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p.36).

3. Fittingintothepuzzle
SimilartoPerennialism:Bothareidealistic
andstressatraditionalstandardof
knowledge
Perennialismvs.Essentialism:modifies “core
knowledge” sothatthecurrentculture is
alwaysreflected. Realismisalsostressedso
thatstudentshavetheabilitytoboth
functionandbeaproductive memberoftheir

4. EssentialismAIMSTO...
Promoteintellectualgrowthoftheindividualandtoeducatethecompetent person
Instillbasicacademicknowledge,skills,andcharacterdevelopment
Embedtraditionalmoralvaluesandvirtuessuchasrespectforauthority,
perseverance,fidelitytoduty,considerationforothers,andpracticalityand
intellectualknowledgethatstudentsneedtobecomemodelcitizens

5. essentialism
proponents

6. Fatherofessentialism
WilliamChandlerBagley studied educationandlearningtheoryatUniversityof
Chicago
authoredthetextbook Classroom Managementin1907asa
guidefornewteachers toeffectivelycontrolthe
classroom
believedaimofeducation wassocialefficiency
physicalandsocialsciencesweretheessentialsubjects
studentsshould master

7. williamj.bennett
combativeandcontroversialfigureineducation
servedasU.S.SecretaryofEducationunderRonaldReagan
arguedforthe“3Cs”-content,character,choice(parent
choice)
emphasizedvalueseducation
certaincontentstudentsshouldknow
teachersshouldsetastrongmoralexample

8. eric Donald(e.D.)Hirsch,Jr.
BestknownforpublicationCulturalLiteracy:What
EveryAmericanNeedstoKnow
FounderandChairmanoftheCoreKnowledge
Foundation
Believesincommonsharedcurriculum
thinksProgressiveideasaredestroyingAmerican
publicschools

9. theodore sizer
oneoftheleadingeducationalreformersinthe
UnitedStates
servedasthedeanoftheHarvardGraduateSchoolof
Education
advocatedboldchangesintheeducationalsystem
thatwouldprovideforthecreationofso-called
EssentialSchools
believedmoralexamplesstudentsseeintheir

10. paulcopperman
urgedthecourtstorefrainfrommeddlinginschool
policies
wrotethebookTheLiteracyHoaxdiscussingtheterrible
conditionofAmerica'seducationalsystem
pointsoutthelackofdiscipline,increasedvandalism,
lenientrequirementsforbasiccoursessuchasmath,
geography,history,science,andforeignlanguages,and
toomanyeasyclasseswithfewhomeworkassignments

11. hymanrickover
“anavyman”notatrainededucator
gainedinternationalfameasaprincipalarchitect
ofthenuclearnavy
emphasizedscienceandtechnologyincurriculum
published3books:EducationandFreedom,Swiss
SchoolsandOurs:WhyTheirsAreBetter,and
AmericanEducation:ANationalFailure

12. avoiceofdissent
a“reformedessentialist”
servedasassistantsecretaryofeducationundergeorge
H.w.bush
Acontributortothelandmarkpublication anationat
risk
playedaprominentroleincreatingvoluntarystateand
nationalacademicstandards

13. Essentialism: TEACHERVSSTUDENTROLES
Astheexpert,theteachershould:
✓Decideonthecurriculumwithminimal
studentinput
✓Serveastheintellectualandmoralrole
model
Asthelearner,thestudentwill:
✓Listenandlearn
✓Truststhattheteacherknowsbest

15. Essentialisminaction
★ ExitExamsASAGRADUATIONREQUIREMENT:“by2009...Studentsin26
statesdidnotgraduatefromhighschoolwithoutpassingstatewidetests”
(ornstein&hunkins,2013,p.37).
★ MERITPAYFORTEACHERS:“...numerousstatesimplementedpay-for-
performancebonusesforoutstandingteachers,rewardsforallteachers
whoseschoolsmetimprovementtargets”(ornstein&hunkins,2013,p.37).

16. ★ highlyqualifiedteachers:“...morethan40statesrequiredbeginning
teacherstodemonstratecompetenceinbasicskills,theiracademicsubject
area,orpedagogicalpractices…”(ornstein&hunkins,2013,p.37).
★ racetothetop:grantfundingdesignedtohelpstatesnationwide to
pursuehigherstandards,improveteachereffectiveness,usedataeffectively
intheclassroom,andadoptnewstrategiestohelpstrugglingschools
(ornstein&hunkins,2013,p.38).

17. pamela

18. College Degrees 360. (2014, September 22). Schoolgirl with books on head [Photograph]. Retrieved from
http://bit.ly/1FIzBi9
Colorful books stacked [Image]. (2012, June 10). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/
61423903@N06/7357608430
[Copperman paul-1978]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.unz.org/Pub/CoppermanPaul-1978
Diane Ravitch. (2014). In Newsmakers (Vol. 4). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1YOXKKq
Essentialism. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2015, from http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/essentialism.html
References

19. References
Former 'No Child' Supporter Says It's A Failure. (2012, October 10). Tell Me More.Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1FIrXV4
Graduation hat education [Image]. (2012). Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/graduation-hat-education-33892/
Hyman G. Rickover. (2008). In B. Narins (Ed.), Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present.
Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1Vro3BS
Hyman George Rickover. (2010). In Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale.
Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1KSb9YF
Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2013). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues (6th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

20. References
Paul Copperman. (2012). In Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale.
Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1iPdTOW
Puzzle Pieces House Team work image. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2015, from http://bit.ly/1Vr77Ra
Renaissance Brothers. (2011, May 4). [Connections]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1jBwuyC
Ruggles, S. (2015, March 18). Diane Ravitch [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1Vt6AJl
Hansel, L. (2014, September 4). E.D. hirsch, jr. [Image]. Retrieved from
http://blog.coreknowledge.org/tag/e-d-hirsch/
Silver, D. (2007). E. D. Hirsch, Jr. In M. Berenbaum & F. Skolnik (Eds.), Encyclopaedia Judaica (2nd ed.). Detroit:
Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1JD8G2o
Theodore R. Sizer. (2009). In Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1QNTdlo

21. References
[Theodore sizer]. (2009, October 22). Retrieved from http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/09/10/
dean-theodore-sizer-1932-2009
William Chandler Bagley. (1998). In Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1M0j2uR
William Chandler Bagley. (2010). In Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1WwyRAY
William J. Bennett. (1998). In J. S. Baughman, V. Bondi, R. Layman, T. McConnell, & V. Tompkins (Eds.),
American Decades. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1PNWDVj
William John Bennett. (2010). In Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1KLQqI4