Description
Book SynopsisHere, Irving H. Buchen projects the future of public education for the next 25 years. He identifies and examines the major drivers of change, profiles all the critical educational constituencies, and offers a number of common sense solutions to current and subsequent problems. Buchen also provides scenarios of solutions to prove that new approaches are doable and viable. The Future of the American School System will: Identify the major drivers of change, Profile the roles of the major players, Define and offer solutions to the major problems, Express those solutions in scenario form, Pinpoint the rallying points for collective action. This book will be of interest to teachers, administrators, professional staff, school board members, parents, departments and professors of education, and all elected officials.
Trade ReviewIrv Buchen represents the most hopeful aspect of education: Teaching that will empower both young and old for our rapidly changing world, which will be very different in the future than the world we now know. Teachers can and must learn to prepare students for the world in which they will be living—not for a world that has largely disappeared. Readers of THE FUTURIST magazine have found his work enormously enlightening. His new book presents the latest thinking of this dynamic educator and futurist. -- Edward Cornish, president, World Future Society, editor of THE FUTURIST magazine, and author of Futuring: The Exploration of the Future
The title promises it all; the book delivers quite a bit. * CHOICE *
Dr. Buchen consistently has kept his critical eye on the future of education for the last two decades. Now with this monumental work he has tapped into the crux of the matter—the whole system, not one piece at a time. The last chapter, which presents solutions to current and future problems, alone is priceless! -- Ron Newell
Table of ContentsPart 1 Preface Part 2 Part One: The Past, the Present, and the Future Chapter 3 1. The Record of the Past Chapter 4 2. The Laws of the Future Chapter 5 3. The System of Systems Part 6 Part Two: Teachers as Major Players Chapter 7 4. Hiring Teachers Chapter 8 5. The Teacher Culture Chapter 9 6. The Economics of Education 101 Chapter 10 7. Money and Teachers Chapter 11 8. Teachers and Technology Part 12 Part Three: Educational Administrators as Major Players Chapter 13 9. Leadership Expectations and Job Descriptions Chapter 14 10. Survival Skills for New Principals Chapter 15 11. Principals as Instructional Leaders Chapter 16 12. Models of Intergrative Leadership Chapter 17 13. The Principal as Plato Chapter 18 14. The Principal as CLO (Chief Learning Officer) Chapter 19 15. The Principal as Broker Chapter 20 16. The Principal as Outsourcer: Economically Driven School Reform Part 21 Part Four: Parents as Major Players Chapter 22 17. Parents and Educational Change Chapter 23 18. Teacher-Parent Partnerships Part 24 Part Five: Students as Major Players Chapter 25 19. Parents and School Reform Chapter 26 20. The Student-Centered Curriculum Part 27 Part Six: Introduction to the Major Drivers of Change Chapter 28 21. The Impact of the Global Economy on Education and Work Chapter 29 22. Competition and School Choice Chapter 30 23. Accountable Accountability: Curing the Cure Chapter 31 24. Research-Based Learning Chapter 32 25. Optimizing Curricula Chapter 33 26. Turnaround: What Education Has to Offer Business Chapter 34 27. Accountability and Role Change: Persuading Lone Rangers to Be Team Players Chapter 35 28. The World Citizen: Facilitating a Future Global Identity for Students Part 36 Part Seven: Teacher Scenarios Chapter 37 29. A Major Change Takes Hold Chapter 38 30. "Who Is in Charge?" Chapter 39 31. The Teacher Leadership Collaborative: A Structural Scenario Chapter 40 32. TMs (Technology Managers) Chapter 41 33. The Future May Be in the Past: Creating a Universal Curriculum Part 42 Part Eight: Administrator Scenarios Chapter 43 34. The Principal and Strategic Conversations Chapter 44 35. The MBA Principal Chapter 45 36. Principals as Futurists Part 46 Part Nine: Parent Scenarios Chapter 47 37. The Coffee Network Chapter 48 38. The Educational Planning Network Chapter 49 39. Electronic Partnerships Part 50 Part Ten: Student Scenarios Chapter 51 40. Tiny Tot Independent Learning Chapter 52 41. K-16 Chapter 53 42. Small Is Better Part 54 Part Eleven: Solution Summaries Chapter 55 43. Open-Ended Conclusions Part 56 References Part 57 About the Author
