Description
Book SynopsisHave you ever asked yourself, ''Why do we do this?'' when faced with the day-to-day realities of school, such as report cards, standardized tests, or textbooks? Chances are, if you are like most Americans, you haven''t. William Spady has, however, and in Beyond Counterfeit Reforms he questions the dead-end assumptions of American education. He asserts a set of five ''research realities'' that should be the foundation of any truly learner-centered system: Human Potential, Human Learning, Domains of Living, Future Conditions, and Life Performance. Not only does Spady thoroughly articulate the bad news about the deep organizational flaws in our schools, but he develops the model of a Total Learning Communitya profoundly compelling description of a possible education and society which makes current reform methods look superficial and misguided in comparison.
Trade ReviewSpady reaches beyond the superficial to enable readers to see education through new eyes. The solutions he proposes create new, exciting structures for children. -- Vickie Phelps Ed.D
Beyond Counterfeit Reforms is must-reading for all educators, parents, and community members. Spady's writing provides a wonderful catalyst for entire communities to gather and create dynamic schools. To ignore this book is to ignore the opportunity for children's success now and in the future. -- Kurt Anderson Ph.D
The more I read, the more I was moved by how articulately this document expressed what I had been thinking about learners, learning, living, and education. * American School Board Journal *
Beyond Counterfeit Reforms offers educational, business, and political leaders a realistic blueprint for meeting the learning challenges of the 21st century. -- Stephen Waddell, Ed.D., superintendent of Tuloso-Midway Independent School District in Corpus Christi, Texas
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface: Beyond Counterfeit Reforms Chapter 2 Foreword by Ian Jukes Chapter 3 Introduction: Knowing the Territory Called "School" Chapter 4 Moving Beyond Education's Dead End Choice Chapter 5 Embracing the New Research Realities Chapter 6 Total Learning for Total Living Chapter 7 Drowning in Old Paradigm Intertia Chapter 8 Exposing the Numbers Game Chapter 9 Boxed in by Reform Chapter 10 Creating Standards for Transforming Education Chapter 11 Step 1: Establishing a Culture of Total Professionalism Chapter 12 Step 2: Laying a Foundation of Insight and Inquiry Chapter 13 Step 3: Defining Life Performance Learning Essentials Chapter 14 Step 5: Mobilizing Resources to Support Learning Chapter 15 Summation: Forging an Authentic Future for All Our Learners Chapter 16 Invitations to Act Chapter 17 Bibliography
