have done some sharp destructive work in our
criticisms of the schools," they said. "Now we are going to do some
constructive writing. We are in search of two things:--first, a
constructive article outlining in general a possible scheme for
reorganizing the course of study; second, a series of articles
describing in a readable way the most successful public school work now
being done in the United States. We want you to visit the schools, study
them at first-hand, and bring back a report of the best that they have
to offer. When your investigation is completed, we shall expect you to
write the material up in such a form that each reader, after finishing
an article, will exclaim,--'There is something that we must introduce
into our schools.'"

That was my opportunity. Instead of writing a book to be read by a
thousand persons, I could place a number of constructive articles before
two million readers. The invitation was a godsend.

The articles, when completed, formed a natural sequence. First there was
the general article (Chapter 3) suggesting the reorganization. Then
followed descriptions of the schools in which some such reorganizations
had been effected. Prepared with the same point of view, the articles
constituted an acceptable series, having a general object and a
connecting idea running throughout. What more natural than to write a
few words of introduction and conclusion, and put the whole in book
form? The style of the articles has been changed somewhat, and
considerable material has been added to them; but, in the main, they
stand as they were written--simple descriptions of some of the most
advanced school work now being done in the United States.

Looked at from any standpoint, this study is a collection of articles
rather than a book, yet there is sufficient relation between the
articles to give a measure of continuity to the thought which they
convey. In no sense is the work pedagogical or theoretical. It is, on
the contrary, a record of the impressions made on a traveler by a number
of school systems and schools. The articles purported to cover the most
progressive work which is being done in the most progressive schools.
Although the selection of successful schools was made only after a
careful canvass among the leading educators of the country, there are
undoubtedly many instances, still at large, which are in every sense as
worthy of commendation as any here recorded. This fact does not in any
way