Full Description
We 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.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Preface
Chapter 1 No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Race to the Top (NCLB 2.0), and
Their Basis, The Accountability Movement
Chapter 2Common Core State Standards
Chapter 3Merit and Teacher Evaluation - Another Fraud
Chapter 4Instead of Teacher Evaluation, which Isn't Working: A Different Approach
Chapter 5Evaluating Teachers by Using Value-Added Models (VAMs)
(Whatever that Means): Another Political tool to Hold Schools Accountable
Chapter 6Failing Kids - Still A Failure
Chapter 7 Evaluating Vs. Grading (Really Rating) Schools
Chapter 8Privatization: Fad, Fraud, Fantasy and/or Fiction?
Chapter 9Charter Schools-A Form of Privatization
Chapter 10Vouchers-Another Form of Privatization
Chapter 11Virtual Charter Schools - Privatization on Steroids
Chapter 12Miracles (or, Really Mirages) - for the Gullible
Chapter 13Major Reforms that Really Work
Bibliography
About the Author
