In this best-selling expose of national policy gone wrong, America's foremost historian of education, Diane Ravitch, renounces her support for reform policies implemented over the past decade that she says are wrecking America's cherished tradition of public education. Strategies like accountability schemes based on questionable standardized tests, merit pay for teachers based on gains on the same unreliable tests, vouchers, and charter schools have been oversold as solutions for our educational problems. Policymakers pushing a market model of reform and charter schools are on the wrong track, ignoring classroom realities. The more they push these policies, Ravitch says, the more they will harm our nation's school system and undermine the quality of education.
The bipartisan No Child Left Behind program (NCLB) implemented with a heavy political hand nationwide, has failed to improve education. It has turned our schools into testing factories to train children how to take standardized tests instead of giving them the knowledge and skills that are necessary components of a good education. The federal sanctions and remedies now mandated nationwide have unfairly stigmatized thousands of schools, putting them at risk of being closed and privatized.
The miracles touted by districts under the new policies vanish on close examination. Test scores in many states and districts are inflated by statistical game-playing and lowered standards. The over-emphasis on testing has all but eliminated the essential elements of a solid education, including history, civics, science, the arts, geography, literature, physical education, health education, and foreign languages. Privatization and deregulation has led predictably to some good and some bad but, on average, charters do not get better results than regular public schools-just new federal subsidies. Teacher evaluation by student test scores is a deeply flawed approach to hiring and job tenure that is driv...
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"A very depressing book. Ravitch, who once supported the concept of national testing and No Child Left Behind, speaks out against such philosophies in her book as time passed and they proved ineffective. She divides the issues -- testing, restructuring the schools, charter schools and how they are set up now, relying on grants and funds from a few powerful men to set educational change -- by chapter. The book is easy to follow and the data seems concrete and supported. There were few surprises in here, although the impact of the charter schools on the nation's Catholic schools was surprising to me. I guess the depressing thing is that the bulk of her arguments have been what educators and those who follow education have been saying for the past several years. I do have to give Ravitch credit for admitting she was wrong. Her solutions at the end make for a good start, but aren't anything concrete, beyond focusing on a range of topics, smaller class sizes and doing more hands-on activities. Don't get me wrong -- it's a must-read for those who follow education topics. The arguments are well-presented. For the most part, I agreed with Ravitch and the few times I disagreed were on minor points (I think at one point, she expresses concern that the effect of NCLB might be to privatize the bulk of the educational system. She mentions she is certain the legislators didn't mean for this unintentional result. Call me cynical, but I say baloney -- I think there are legislators whose aim is to do just that)."
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April (4 out of 5 stars)