Conclusion

Abstract

My purpose in writing this book has been to articulate the ways in which religious literacy can serve to enhance efforts aimed at promoting the ideals of democracy in multicultural, multireligious America. Many may believe that the suggestions put forth here and the frameworks upon which they rest are too sophisticated for students and teachers to ever adopt, let alone successfully implement. One colleague was very enthusiastic about the manuscript but then offered the following lament: “We both know this will never take hold in public schools.” I strongly disagree. My belief is rooted in my own experience over the past decade working with public and independent school teachers from across the country as well as across the world. It is true that these are challenging times for public school educators, but as I have argued throughout this book, they are too often underestimated, overregulated, and held accountable for enacting policies that they had no voice in constructing and that they recognize as educationally unsound. When expectations shift away from treating teachers as functionaries who need to be managed to capable scholars and professionals who need only the training, support, and resources to do their jobs, then classrooms can (and in my experience do) begin to transform.