Curriculum on the Edge of Survival

Daniel Heller contends that public education is in a downward spiral because we have failed to notice the erosion of the basic curricular dimensions which support the preparation of students as active participants in our ever-changing world. While many books explain procedural knowledge such as how to differentiate instruction how to create standards-based curriculum or how to write a constructivist lesson the second edition of Curriculum on the Edge of Survival discusses the 'what' and 'why' rather than the how. What is the purpose of schools in a free democratic society and why is the answer to that question crucial in deciding the most fundamental questions about curriculum?