A good place to learn about the philosophy of education that formed the main influence on educational practice in the United States for almost a century now would be John Dewey's
Democracy and Education. Here are inks to an online copy at Columbia and one of the several entries at Amazon:
The Amazon blurb says it well —
QUOTE
In this landmark work on public education, Dewey discusses methods of providing quality public education in a democratic society. First published close to 90 years ago, it sounded the call for a revolution in education, stressing growth, experience, and activity as factors that promote a democratic character in students.
Jon Awbrey