Description
Book SynopsisShanker was condemned by many when he shut down the New York City school system in the bitter strikes of 1967 and 1968, and he was denounced for stirring up animosity between black parents and Jewish teachers. This biography offers a narrative of one of the most important voices in public education and American politics.
Trade ReviewThis book is a must-read for those interested in educational or labor history. Historian A thoroughly researched and engaging biography. -- Arch Puddington The Wall Street Journal [A] fascinating biography. -- Sol Stern City Journal At once exquisitely complex and grandly contextual. -- Martin Peretz The New Republic A well-drawn portrait. -- Scott McLemee Newsday Judicious and engaging. -- Fred Siegel Weekly Standard [A] timely new biography. -- Sara Mosle Slate An engaging book, and essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Cold War liberalism and its complicated legacy. -- Scott McLemee Inside Higher Ed An excellent new biography. -- Jal Mehta American Prospect A must read for unionists, educators, politicians and democracy internationalists trying to make sense of the persistent failings of U.S. education. -- Eugenia Kemble Democratiya A spirited and readable biography. -- Adam Fairclough Washington Post Named one of the American School Board Journal's must-reads of the year. American School Board Journal [This book] is an important contribution to the history of American education reform. -- Nathan Glazer Education Next An important new biography. The Politico A must-read for those interested in educational or labor history. Historian
Table of ContentsIntroduction Part 1. New York 1. The Early Years: Rising from Humble Beginnings and Establishing Values (1928-1952) 2. Creating the United Federation of Teachers (1952-1962) 3. Rising Within the UFT: Labor and Civil Rights Together (1962-1965) 4. Black Power and the 1967 Teachers' Strike (1966-1968) 5. The Ocean Hill-Brownsville Strike and the Liberal Assault on Labor (1968) 6. Ocean Hill-Brownsville: The Fallout (1969) 7. Rebuilding: Recruiting the Paraprofessionals, Launching the "Where We Stand" Column, and Seeking Teacher Unity (1969-1972) 8. Becoming President of the American Federation of Teachers and Battling the New Politics Movement (1972-1974) 9. "A Man by the Name of Albert Shanker": Sleeper and the Controversy of Power (1973-1975) 10. Losing Power: The New York Fiscal Crisis and the Decline of Labor (1974-1976) Part 2. Washington 11. Jimmy Carter and the Rise of the Reagan Democrats (1976-1980) 12. Being a Social Democrat Under Ronald Reagan: Domestic Policy (1980-1988) 13. Being a Social Democrat Under Ronald Reagan: Foreign Policy (1980-1988) 14. Education Reform: A Nation at Risk, Merit Pay, and Peer Review (1983-1984) 15. Beyond Special Interest: Making Teaching a Profession (1985-1987) 16. Charter Schools and School Restructuring (1988-1997) 17. The Early Education-Standards Movement (1989-1994) 18. The Rise of the Angry White Males and the Gingrich Revolution (1992-1995) 19. Reviving the Education-Standards Movement and the Final Days (1995-1997) Part 3. Legacy 20. The Legacy of Albert Shanker Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index
