PHILOSOPHY of EDUCATION SOCIETY

February 2007 Update

Home
Conference
Membership
Publications
Archive
Resources

UPDATE CONTENTS

  1. President's Welcome to Atlanta: Susan Laird
  2. Call for dues: Sasha Sidorkin
  3. Hospitality Committee: Deron Boyles
  4. Conference Program: Barbara Stengel
  5. Elections
  6. Calls for proposals and announcements
  7. New books by PES members

President's Welcome to Atlanta: Susan Laird

As seemingly endless freezing rain and ice topple trees and power lines and make streets and roads hazardous or impassable here in Oklahoma during our first week of classes, which unlike local schools have not been cancelled, I am much looking forward to a Groundhog’s Day that promises beautiful fragrant spring blossoms for the PES in Atlanta March 15-19.  Come to Atlanta, visit its historical sites, and feast with the PES on thoughtful conversations, food, and friendship!  As Deron Boyles puts finishing touches on menu planning with our hotel, the urgent task at hand for all is to book your rooms now at the Sheraton—before February 13th, please! 

Barbara Stengel and her hard-working committee of reviewers have been able to select only 30% of your program submissions for the Philosophy of Education 2007, so congratulations to this year’s authors!  You will find the enclosed program schedule full of thought-provoking sessions.  In addition to the essays for publication, this year’s program will include many discussions over working papers you have submitted, the book fair will feature chats over your recently published books, and Jeff Milligan has organized an embedded evening conference, “Philosophical Perspectives on Issues of Practice,” to which philosophers and educators from the Atlanta metro area are also invited.  We are counting on you all to give them and indeed all first-time participants a hospitable, warm welcome to the PES at this evening conference. 

Our Kneller Lecturer, Richard Shusterman, has already submitted the text of his lecture, “Self-Knowledge,” to his respondents, and is looking forward to meeting and talking with you in person.  Having read his ms. already, I can promise you will find in it many possible connections with PES members’ own research programs of various sorts to exhilarate our ongoing conversation and work—and perhaps our extra-professional lives as well. 

Susan Birden and Wendy Kohli are preparing to welcome Kumiko Ikuta and from Japan as well as Inga Saltzman from Sweden, who will join our members in discussion of their own work directly influenced by the prolific radical thought of PES’s 1981 president, Jane Roland Martin, from which we will learn about new developments in philosophy of education and educational practice around the world and in North America as well. 

Sadly, amidst all these joyous preparations, the PES mourns the recent loss of Thomas F. Green, who served as PES President in 1976.  At this year’s Presidential Luncheon, we will honor his memory and celebrate the outstanding philosophical contributions that his writing and teaching have made to the development of educational thought.  Please join us for this rite of warm friendship and remembrance that promises even those who never had the privilege of meeting Tom Green the rare experience of some historical learning about late twentieth-century philosophy of education as it was lived during a particularly exciting era of the PES.

Substantial contributions from the University of Oklahoma, Georgia State University, Florida State University, University of Northern Colorado, SUNY-Buffalo State, Millersville State University, and Fairfield University, as well as the George F. Kneller Fund, have made possible this fine array of events we look forward to in Atlanta.  Many thanks to them all!

Call for dues and address updates: Sasha Sidorkin                                                            TOP

Only 273 individuals have paid their 06/07 membership dues. PES usually maintains about 450-500 membership levels. We need money to run the Society: pay for the journal, publish the yearbook, plan the conference, etc. Please pay your dues on-line now rather than waiting for the conference. We now accept American Express, as well as Visa, Maser Card, checks and money orders. I went through trouble of changing our bank to make money order and check acceptance less restrictive (we can now accept foreign checks and money orders as long as they are in US funds). If you are not sure whether you have paid 06-07 dues, please log in to our portal, check the status of your membership. There is a forgotten password feature there. If it still does not work, contact me, and I will get you logged in right away.

If you have moved recently, and updated your address through the portal, there is a chance of an error in your mailing address; please login and makes sure your address is correct. Our provider made a mistake in developing the database; it is now corrected, but some errors might still be there.

Hospitality Committee: Deron Boyles                                                            TOP

Southern Hospitality awaits you in Atlanta!  This year’s conference is shaping up to be a great one: great papers, great people, and a great location.  Bring your appetite, too, as there also will be—you guessed it—great food.  New members of PES are especially encouraged to note the New Member Reception held on Friday night from 5-6:30.  We look forward to fostering new friendships by warmly welcoming you to the society. Please identify yourself at the Registration Desk.   In addition, a special luncheon honoring the women of PES is scheduled for Saturday at noon and you don’t want to miss the Presidential Reception on Sunday night.  Word on the street is that the president may kick up her heels a bit with some dancing.  Graduate students should note the number of receptions might actually mean a lower food bill overall—so more money for other refreshments?  Members of the Hospitality Committee include Kathleen Knight-Abowitz (Miami University of Ohio), Andrew McKnight (University of Alabama, Birmingham), Barb Thayer-Bacon (University of Tennessee), and yours truly.   So you’ll know who we are, we’ll be wearing yellow roses—a signifier of friendship (awww, ain’t that sweet?).  Ok, maybe not as sweet as the tea in the south, but we’re trying hard to make the conference the best one we can. 

Please be sure to reserve your room online ASAP so we can meet our room count nights. Our deadline for meeting the goal is February 13.  The web link to the hotel also indicates the central location of the Sheraton Colony Square.  Within blocks of Piedmont Park, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, the 14th Street Playhouse, Woodruff Arts Center (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and High Museum of Art), MARTA (subway) station, restaurants, and shops, the hotel is in a perfect spot for PES members.  See ya’ll soon!

Deron Boyles (Georgia State University)

Conference Program: Barbara Stengel                                                            TOP

Come to Atlanta for an “embarrassment of riches”!

A preliminary program for our March conference has been posted on the Society’s web site.   As you read through that program, I think you’ll find an embarrassment of riches. Many familiar names and lots of new ones grace the program listings.   Two names of note include Florida Atlantic’s Richard Shusterman and UMass Dartmouth’s (and our own!) Jane Roland Martin, honored scholars who will be participating in both general sessions and small-scale discussions.   President Susan Laird will deliver her Address, “Food for Coeducational Thought” on Sunday morning and then host the Presidential Luncheon and the Presidential Reception later that evening.

All initial notifications about proposals have been sent out.   However, I have received word from several folks who did not receive the email notification about their submissions -- both acceptances and rejections.   If you have not been notified about the status of your proposal,  please email me privately  (barbara.stengel@millersville.edu) and I will resend that -- including reviewers comments.   I apologize for any delay and/or inconvenience.   It appears we may have a few glitches within OJS to investigate.

As many of you know, former PES President Tom Green passed away just weeks ago.   We are scrambling now to prepare a fitting tribute to Tom at the Presidential Luncheon.   Our tentative plan includes both formal, substantive comments and some informal reminiscing.   If you would like to participate in a formal way, please email me.  If you simply want to offer a tale or a tribute, you will be invited to do so at the luncheon.

Speaking of tributes, COSW is sponsoring a lunch reception on Saturday after the Presidential Honors Program focused on Jane Roland Martin’s work -- to honor Jane and the women of PES, especially the women scholars who are past presidents.   A slide show will remind those eating of the history of women in the Society while highlighting the contributions of specific individuals.   Check the Conference registration form to sign up for lunch.

As always at PES, there will be plenty to eat and drink, but we will have to eat fast this year.   The program is packed – and ready to go . See you in Atlanta!

    Conference registration. Please do register in advance. It is a real-time registration system, so it is never too late to register on-line. On-site registration will still be available, but it really makes it much easier if you do it on-line. Our on-line system accepts American Express, Visa, Master Card, and allows for check and money order payments. If you end up not going, we will refund the registration fee.

    Message for graduate students                                                             TOP

    PES offers stipends, and subsidized rooms to graduate students and unemployed members. Please read information here.

    Book Fair                                                                                                       TOP

    All PES Member Authors!
    You have an opportunity to showcase your book at the 2007 Annual PES Conference in Atlanta! Throughout the conference, the Book Fair will showcase your book at a special PES Members’ Book Table. In addition, PES will be hosting Authors’ Chat Sessions, as part of the Book Fair. If you would like to put your book in the on-going display or if you would like to participate in a Chat Session, you are encouraged to bring a copy of your book to the fair for display OR have your publisher send a copy. Publishers will be charged for all other display opportunities, but not for the PES Members’ Book Table. If you would like your book to be included, go to this web page and follow the directions. The deadline for requesting a Book Chat is 1/26/07. The deadline for sending the name of the book you want to be displayed is 3/1/07.

Elections                                                                                                           TOP

The elections of the Executive Board member and COPA member will be conducted on-line. If you are a voting member, you will receive a separate e-mail with a link to vote. Those few of you who requested a hard copy of the update will also receive a paper ballot: make sure you vote only once: either on-line or by mail. Kathy Hytten and Barbara Thayer-Bacon are nominated for the Executive Board; Kathleen Knight Abowitz and Hee Soon Bai —for the Committee on Professional Affairs.

Calls for proposals and announcements                                                            TOP

  • The INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN (IAPC) announces its 2007 Summer Seminars in Philosophy for Children: an Advanced Seminar May 22-31 and an Introductory Seminar August 17-27.  The IAPC Summer Seminars bring together faculty and graduate students from Montclair State University and professors and visiting scholars from around the world, for ten days of intensive study, dialogue and production. The seminars assist international scholars to bring P4C to their communities and provide all involved with experience in a community of philosophical inquiry. More information available at www.montclair.edu/iapc. Inquiries to Assistant Director Joanne Matkowski: matkowskij@mail.montclair.edu; (973) 655-4278.
  • Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children is a forum for the work of both theorists and practitioners of philosophical practice with children, and publishes such work in all forms, including philosophical argument and reflection, classroom transcripts, curricula, empirical research, and reports from the field. The journal also maintains a tradition in publishing articles in the hermeneutics of childhood, a field of intersecting disciplines including cultural studies, social history, philosophy, art, literature and psychoanalysis.  The journal is refereed; subscription and submission information at www.montclair.edu/iapc
  • The XIII Bi-Annual Conference of the International Council for Philosophical Inquiry with Children (ICPIC; www.icpic.org) will be held June 4-7, 2007 at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem.  The Conference theme is “Philosophical Inquiry with Children: A meeting point between cultures and identities.”  A post-conference seminar, “Exploring Connections: Philosophy for Children and Jewish Studies,” will be held June 10-11.  Call for papers and information at http://melton.huji.ac.il/ICPIC.
  • The Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain, in association with the Beliefs, Rights and Values in Education Research Centre, Roehampton University, London is pleased to announce the second annual International Philosophy of Education Student Summer School. Monday 9 July 2007 to Friday 13 July 2007 to be held at Roehampton University, London, UK. See more.
  • Education and Extremism Second International Conference on Citizenship & Human Rights in Education Roehampton University, London, 5th – 7th July 2007. CALL FOR PAPERS.
  • The Journal of Educational Controversy welcomes papers for its Volume 3 Number 1 January 2008 issue on "Schooling as if Democracy Matters." Our special issue on the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case on the use of race in public school admissions will go online in January 2007.

New books by PES members                                                                              TOP

CONTACT: PES Executive Director Jeff Milligan
850-644-8171; milligan@coe.fsu.edu