Angry Parents, Failing Schools

by McEwan, Elaine K.

• ISBN13: 9780877880196
• ISBN10: 0877880190
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2000-03-07
• Publisher: Shaw Books

Summary

Something's happening in our nation's schools. Test scores are down. Some students can't read, write, or do math. Angry parents are forming activist groups. Administrators are stonewalling. How did we get in this mess? Retired school teacher and administrator Elaine McEwan has found some answers. She traces the problems to two major changes in public education: "whole language" and "fuzzy math." Every parent should read this book to become an educated consumer of public education and learn some specific things you can do to ensure that your child gets a good education.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Are Public Schools Really Failing Our Kids?	7	(6)
Chapter One Reality Check: Do You Know What Your Children Are Doing in School Today?	13	(22)
Chapter Two How Teachers, Administrators, and School Boards Infuriate Parents	35	(12)
Chapter Three Where Did the Schools Go Wrong? How Politics, Profits, and Professors Are Taking Control of Education	47	(30)
Chapter Four The Reading Wars: Why Can't My Child Read?	77	(32)
Chapter Five Is the New "New Math" Really Fuzzy? How Correct Answers Came into Disrepute	109	(32)
Chapter Six Other Educational Viruses in Schools: How to Tell If Your School Is Sick	141	(56)
Chapter Seven Fifty Plus Things You Can Do How to Make A Real Difference in Education Today	197	(54)
Appendix A: Whole Language Survey	251	(1)
Appendix B: Phonics Instructional Materials	252	(2)
Appendix C: Suggested Book List on Reading Instruction	254	(2)
Appendix D: Education Websites	256	(10)
Appendix E: More Tales from the Trenches	266	(9)
Whole-Language at the Fork in the Road	266	(2)
Cathy Froggatt
Where are the Disciplines in Interdisciplinary Instruction?	268	(3)
Stephen Kern
The Educrats' Alphabet continued from chapter 2	271	(1)
An Insider's View of Cooperative Learning	272	(3)
Marie Becker
Bibliography	275	(14)
Index	289