What's Wrong with Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them

by Zwaagstra, Michael C.; Clifton, Rodney A.; Long, John C.

• ISBN13: 9781607091585
• ISBN10: 1607091585
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-07-16
• Publisher: R&L Education

Summary

What's Wrong with Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them examines the status of public education in North America and exposes many of the absurd instructional practices found in all-too-many schools. Written by three experienced educators, this book provides readers with a direct window into public education. The language is straightforward, the case studies based on real events, and the research evidence clearly presented. With chapter titles like, _Subject Matter Matters,_ _A Pass Should be Earned,_ and _There is Too Much Edu-Babble,_ the authors systematically demolish the ridiculous fads that have taken hold of public education. As unashamed apologists for the importance of knowledge and content in school curricula, the authors clearly show why the views of romantic progressives, like those of popular author Alfie Kohn, fail to stand up to rigorous scrutiny. A consistent focus on common sense permeates this book and provides parents, teachers, and administrators with practical ways in which they can help improve public education. Anyone interested in the future of public education will benefit from reading this book. For more information, visit www.fixingourschools.com.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction: Whatever Happened to Common Sense?	p. 1
Some Things Are Fundamental
Subject Matter Matters	p. 15
Tests Are Good for Students	p. 27
Students Need Discipline	p. 39
Inclusion Should Not Be Exclusion	p. 51
Some Teachers Are Better Than Others	p. 63
Some Schools Are Better Than Others	p. 75
Some Things Are Practical
Classrooms Should Be Teacher-Centered	p. 93
Direct Instruction Is Good Teaching	p. 103
Rote Learning and Practice Are Important	p. 115
A Little Homework Doesn't Hurt	p. 125
Grades Should Reflect Achievement	p. 135
A Pass Should Be Earned	p. 145
Some Things Are Distracting
Teachers' Unions Don't Always Put Students First	p. 157
There Is Too Much "Edu-Babble"	p. 167
Conclusion: Using Common Sense to Obtain Better Schools	p. 179
About the Authors	p. 189
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