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Due to initiatives like No Child Left Behind, schools are increasingly being forced in a conservative direction that emphasizes testing, narrow curriculum, commercialized programs, and a tight external control. This has had a profound and chilling effect on the students' freedom to learn in our schools, even in Wisconsin, where there are strong progressive roots. We need to look beyond the moment and begin to renew a progressive vision for our schools.

Our middle level schools, including middle schools, junior highs, and the middle grades in K-8 schools, have been especially hard hit by these conservative constraints. Yet as a recent New York Times series highlighted such constraints are doing serious harm to the education of young adolescents. We agree, and further believe that young adolescents are especially in need of educational experiences that involve and address democratic issues of equity, justice, and student voice.

Progressive educators from Wisconsin and Minnesota formed a non-profit organization -
Educational Development Unlimited (EDU) - in December 2003. Those educators who met were concerned with the trajectory of middle level education. There is still a sense the progressive education voices continued to be muted.

Come see what there is to shout about.

Educational Development Unlimited (EDU) is a non-profit organization that develops and promotes progressive educational practices.


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Pages • Front Page • About EDU • Who We Are • Affiliations • Events and Projects • Links	Welcome Progressive Educators! Due to initiatives like No Child Left Behind, schools are increasingly being forced in a conservative direction that emphasizes testing, narrow curriculum, commercialized programs, and a tight external control. This has had a profound and chilling effect on the students' freedom to learn in our schools, even in Wisconsin, where there are strong progressive roots. We need to look beyond the moment and begin to renew a progressive vision for our schools. Our middle level schools, including middle schools, junior highs, and the middle grades in K-8 schools, have been especially hard hit by these conservative constraints. Yet as a recent New York Times series highlighted such constraints are doing serious harm to the education of young adolescents. We agree, and further believe that young adolescents are especially in need of educational experiences that involve and address democratic issues of equity, justice, and student voice. Progressive educators from Wisconsin and Minnesota formed a non-profit organization - Educational Development Unlimited (EDU) - in December 2003. Those educators who met were concerned with the trajectory of middle level education. There is still a sense the progressive education voices continued to be muted. Come see what there is to shout about.