Sarah Stitzlein

I am a Professor of Education and Affiliate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cincinnati. I am also President of the John Dewey Society, Co-Editor of the journal, Democracy & Education, and Co-Director of the Center for Hope & Justice Education. As a philosopher of education, I use political philosophy to uncover problems in education, analyze educational policy, and envision better alternatives. I am especially interested in issues of political agency, educating for democracy, and equity in schools.

My latest book Learning How to Hope: Reviving Democracy through Schools and Civil Society (Oxford University Press, 2020), responds to current struggles in democracy. It explains what hope is, why it matters to democracy, and how we can teach it in schools, universities, and civcil society. The book received an open access grant making it free for all to download.

My most recent writing project in 2020, describes the state of civic reasoning and discourse for the National Academy of Education. It describes the philosophical underpinnings of such civic work and how we might better prepare students for it through schools and universities.