Is the most powerful person at the local level, because he or she is the de facto head of all schools in the district, fulfilling both executive and administrative functions. Superintendents are usually selected by school boards, although some districts elect their superintendent. There is a significant gender gap at

Is the central office of a school district. It is charge with being the engine that makes the entire district work. The number of district-level administrators varies, depending on the size of the district. The superintendent is located at the local school district office. Additional district-level administrators are usually organized

Is the ultimate authority at the school level and is responsible for the governance of all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the facility. Principals report directly to the local superintendent or one of the deputy superintendents. High schools and middle schools may have an administrative team composed of a

Is hypothesized by both René Descartes (1596–1650) and George Berkley (1685–1753). Modern idealists also believed in two worlds: a material world and a world of the mind. Modern idealists questioned existence, God, and perception, most famously in Descartes’ declaration: “I think, therefore I am.” Modern idealist educators consider their students

Theorizes that there are two separate worlds: the worlds of God and humanity. St. Augustine (AD 354–430) was a religious idealist who speculated that God created knowledge and that we must uncover this unchanging truth. Throughout the history of the United States, the religious idealism of Christianity has been the

Refers to the set of theories put forward by Socrates and Plato (427–347 BC) in their search for an Absolute Truth. Socrates and Plato questioned the fundamentals of reality, knowledge, and human nature. From these teachings emerged the Socratic method—the process of gaining knowledge by carefully questioning and then criticizing

Is the branch of philosophy that seeks to organize reasoning. Students of logic learn how to think in a structurally sound manner. Logic has two types: deductive and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning involves examining a general case, deducing a general set of rules or principles, and then applying these rules

Is the branch of philosophy that considers the study of principles and values. These values are divided into two main kinds: ethics and aesthetics. Ethics is the questioning of morals and personal values. Aesthetics is the examination of what is beautiful, enjoyable, or tasteful. In axiology, education is more than

Is the branch of philosophy that considers how people come to learn what they know. Derived from the Greek word episteme, meaning knowledge or understanding, epistemology refers to the nature and origin of knowledge and truth. Epistemology proposes that there are four main bases of knowledge: divine revelation, experience, logic

Is the branch of philosophy that considers the physical universe and the nature of ultimate reality. It asks questions like, What is real? What is the origin of the world? What is beyond the stars? Your consideration of reality as an external creation or an internal construct can influence your