Joel Spring, professor of education at the State University of New York - New Paltz, received his Ph.D. in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin. His father was born a citizen of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory prior to the abolishment of the Choctaw government and the creation of Oklahoma. Professor Spring's current interest in Native American culture and history is a reflection of his Indian background. His major research interests are history of education, multicultural education, Native American culture, and the politics of education.

Professor Spring is the author of many books including The Cultural Transformation of a Native American Family and Its Tribe 1763-01995: A Basket of Apples; Images of American Life: A History of Ideological Management in Schools, Movies, Radio, and Television; and Political Agendas for Education: From the Christian Coalition to the Green Party. For McGraw-Hill Professor Spring has authored American Education; Wheels in the Head: Educational Philosophies of Authority, Freedom, and Culture from Socrates to Human Rights; the Intersection of Cultures: Multicultural Education in the United States; Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A Brief History of the Education of Dominated Cultures in the United States, and Conflict of Interests: The Politics of American Education,