This book presents the findings of eleven teacher educators as they examine the meaning of democracy and its application to classroom practice. There is a shared belief among all contributors to this volume: that incorporating democratic practice into teacher education is an essential requirement to introducing democratic practices in K-12 classrooms. The contributors also believe that a democratic society requires education that is compatible with democracy. Topics of discussion include: (1) The principles underlying democracy; (2) Implications for equity, and access of at-risk minority students; (3) Efforts to introduce democratic practice into teacher preparation, and the positive results derived from those efforts; and (4) The application of character education to democratic practices. Additional key principles covered are: (1) Importance of rights; (2) Nature of authority; (3) Equality; and (4) Student input into teacher education. Democratic Practices in Education will provoke debate and stimulate interest, understanding, and competence in the development of democratic practices at all levels of schooling for teachers and teacher educators. This book is divided into the following ten chapters: (1) Transforming Schools into Democratic Sites (Jerry A. Ligon); (2) Democratic Education: Goals, Principles, and Requirements (Armando Laguardia and Art Pearl); (3) Democratic Practices as Manifested through Character Education (Paul F. Black); (4) Democracy, Schools, and Cultural Minority Groups (Armando Laguardia); (5) European and American Influences on Democratic Practice at the Professional Development School: Postbaccalaureate Students in Early Field Experience (Caroline R. Pryor); (6) The Praxis of Democracy in Undergraduate Education (Jeffrey B. Dunbar); (7) The Democratic Classroom: A Model That Works (K. Fred Curtis; (8) Democratic Practices in Education and Curriculum (Kay W. Terry, Nancy P. Gallavan; (9) Democracy in Education: Shared Governance (Joseph N. Macaluso; and (10) Teacher Participation in School Decision Making (John A. Bucci).