The purpose of this article is to present contributions from the thinking of JohnDewey and Anísio Teixeira to the discussion about the quality of basic education. Thisreflection is of paramount importance because it allows us to broaden the understanding ofthe role of the school in the construction of a true democracy, as well as to explain the weightof this institution for social change. This discussion increasingly assumes a prominentposition for the development of public policies in the educational area, as well as aligns withthe need for research that deepens the understanding of the educational phenomenonconsidering the angle of the right to quality education (BRASIL, 1996). The methodologicalchoice of working with a classic author, Dewey, and a contemporary, Teixeira was due to therepresentativeness of these thinkers in terms of defending a public school, free of charge andquality, as well as personal and intellectual contact that resulted in consequences in theiracademic productions. In this sense, it is imperative to consider its proposals, especially in acountry like Brazil that needs to strengthen its newly started democracy and faces so manychallenges in the field of social rights. The exploration of these two exponents of pedagogicalideas makes clear the central points that need to be faced to meet the challenge of promotingquality education for all in Brazil.