Progressive education has been an important, educational philosophy that has given inspiration to practical, pedagogical renewal and school-based development in the Scandinavian countries since the middle of the 20th century. The ideology has spread to teaching practices along with the structural development of “A School for All”. The question discussed in this contribution is if the progressive ideology is a necessary basis for pedagogical thinking that aims at cultivating democracy and making a meaningful education to all kinds of students, regardless of diverse abilities, interests, social background, and ethnicity. It discusses in what ways progressive education, as it developed in Europe and USA in the 20th century, has been implemented in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, what have been the competing ideologies, and what status progressive education has in the Scandinavian countries today. What happens to progressive educational practices in confrontation with the transnational, neo-liberal management ideologies? Are there elements of progressivism that fits well into the new management systems, like individualism, decentralization, and parent influence? Is the vision of learning as an endless, personal experience process compatible with the idea of result-based management, learning outcome and learning as a result? What happens to the idea of democracy in education?