As educators who shape future educational leaders in credential and degree programs, we are faced with the challenge of instilling in them certain attitudes and values while also helping them acquire a specific body of skills and knowledge – all crucial for success in the challenging world of education today. At the same time, we hope to impact them as people and to provide them with a platform or philosophy that they can apply in their own setting, allowing them to have a positive ripple effect on those they touch in their daily work. Educational leaders, through their work with communities in and surrounding their schools, face the daunting task of preparing graduates for success during the educational process as well as giving them what it takes to contribute positively to society once they complete their education. In this type of work, it is necessary for educational leaders to work in a collaborative, democratic and ethical fashion. If they can leave Educational Leadership programs with an understanding the power of democratic learning communities- that they are the path to empowerment and powerful learning for adults, children, and ultimately society - we can be better assured that they will make a difference in the workplace. If we “put our money where our mouth is” and actually model, in addition to talk about, democratic learning communities, our educational leadership graduates will be more likely to carry on with this same practice. In this article, we address the characteristics of democratic education, examine learning communities in higher education and offer suggestions for faculty in Educational Leadership programs to develop learning communities in their classrooms that more systematically and effectively address issues of democracy. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT HERE: http://cnx.org/content/m19571/latest/
