David Labaree

Stanford University

Lee L. Jacks Professor, Emeritus

David F. Labaree is Lee L. Jacks Professor (emeritus) at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education. His research focuses on the historical sociology of American schooling, including topics such as the evolution of high schools, the growth of consumerism, the origins and nature of education schools, the role of schools in promoting access and advantage more than subject-matter learning, and the nature of the American system of higher education. His books include: The Making of an American High School (1988); How to Succeed in School Without Really Learning: The Credentials Race in American Education (1997); The Trouble with Ed Schools (2004); Education, Markets, and the Public Good (2006; A Perfect Mess: The Unlikely Ascendancy of American Higher Education (2017); Being a Scholar: Reflections on Doctoral Study, Scholarly Writing, and Academic Life (2023); and The Ironies of Schooling (2024). He blogs at https://davidlabaree.com. @Dlabaree; @@dlabaree.bsky.social.