Rationale: A major tenet of a democratic society is the belief that people can and should be trusted to make those decisions that directly affect them and that they can act collectively to shape their society. Education should prepare students for this critical role. In order for it to do so, teachers must prepare and empower their students to make those decisions that most affect their school lives and to take responsibility for consequences arising from those decisions. They should value democratic processes and the importance of having students practice them regularly, and they should be able to empower students to come together to accept responsibility for their learning. Further, teachers should value independent thinking and behavior and help their students recognize that it is not the agenda of teachers or society alone that count in schools. Often, this requires teachers to give up some of the authority that they and administrators often deem necessary. Finally, teachers should know how to foster a measure of independence and self-direction in their students that enables them to structure their own learning activities to the degree commensurate with their development.