Description
Book SynopsisWe Americans seem prone to bandwagon onto fads, particularly now that reforming education has become a national priority. Unfortunately, many of those fads now caroming across our continent are outright frauds; some are fantasies, even fictions. Even more unfortunately, many are undermining our public schools, teachers, kids and communities, and pillaging our tax dollars in the process.This book analyzes each major reform No Child Left Behind, Common Core State Standards, grading schools, evaluating teachers, failing students, vouchers, charters, online virtual charters and finds them seriously wanting. We conclude with reforms that work actually helping teachers, kids, parents and communities.
Trade ReviewFew can find the contradictions and holes in the current educational scene like Arthur Shaprio who brings his razor sharp wit and lie detector insights to our age. One does not have to agree with him on every point to be exposed to more sides of an issue than one had before. Readers up to the challenge will find this book a good read and very useful. -- Fenwick W. English, R. Wendell Eaves Sr. Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Once upon a time in a land not so far far away, the common good of public education was under siege by the fire breathing greedy profitability dragon. The knight in this story is Arthur Shapiro with a pen mightier than the sword. After reading this enlightening book, all those in public education, all those who attend public schools, will want to join this brave knight in the fight against frauds, fads, fantasies and fiction in the discourse on public education reform. -- Dr. Rosemary Papa, Del and Jewell Lewis Endowed Chair and professor, Educational Leadership, Northern Arizona University
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Dedication Preface Chapter 1 No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Race to the Top (NCLB 2.0), and Their Basis, The Accountability Movement Chapter 2 Common Core State Standards Chapter 3 Merit and Teacher Evaluation – Another Fraud Chapter 4 Instead of Teacher Evaluation, which Isn’t Working: A Different Approach Chapter 5 Evaluating Teachers by Using Value-Added Models (VAMs) (Whatever that Means): Another Political tool to Hold Schools Accountable Chapter 6 Failing Kids – Still A Failure Chapter 7 Evaluating Vs. Grading (Really Rating) Schools Chapter 8 Privatization: Fad, Fraud, Fantasy and/or Fiction? Chapter 9 Charter Schools-A Form of Privatization Chapter 10 Vouchers-Another Form of Privatization Chapter 11 Virtual Charter Schools – Privatization on Steroids Chapter 12 Miracles (or, Really Mirages) – for the Gullible Chapter 13 Major Reforms that Really Work Bibliography About the Author
