Theodore Sizer is currently the Professor Emeritus at Brown University (since 1984) and the Chairman of the Coalition of Essential Schools. Prior to Brown, Sizer was the headmaster at Phillips Academy. He held this position from 1972-1981. He was also a professor and dean at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He held this position from 1964-1972.

Sizer received his education at Yale (BA) and Harvard (MAT and Ph. D.). He has written numerous books dealing with motivation and the ideas of the school reform effort. His most famous books are Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School, Horace's School: Redesigning the American High School, and Horace's Hope: What Works for the American High School. Sizer has also received numerous honors and awards for his work in the field of motivation and school reform. These include the James Bryant Conant Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and honorary degrees from several universities.

As the Chairman of the Coalition of Essential Schools, Sizer's emphasis is on school reform. He states "local circumstances and local cultures are the powerful well-springs for lasting school reform". The Coalition emphasizes that reform is a two-step process. "The first step is to rethink how the school is designed and then rearrange the design to make possible better work. The second step s to shape teaching practices that make it possible for all students to use their minds well."

Publications

Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School

Horace's School: Redesigning the American High School

Horace's Hope: What Works for the American High School.