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This book provides a critical analysis of the neoliberal reform agenda of the economic governance of schools. Focusing on the role of the United States in this process, it explores the transformation of schools in this agenda from educational establishments to enterprises in a competitive education market. The study uses Bourdieu to apply a field-theoretical framework to a detailed empirical analysis of the current changes of school government. Chapters explore education bureaucracy, reform and the effect of outside organizations on pedagogy and testing. The book reveals how far the promises of corporate education reform are from reality and concludes with a plea for a realistic view of scho...
The Wrong Direction for Today’s Schools: The Impact of Common Core on American Education is an in-depth analysis of the newest national American education fad, intended to replace the 2002 incarnation of the ESEA, No Child Left Behind. Zarra delves into the “seeds” that produced the Common Core Standards, as well as the groups involved in the political and corporate pressure to completely revamp America’s K-16 education system. The author lays out a strong case for political motives involving the advancement for nationalized education, such as those found in select European and Asian nations. Zarra also follows the funding and provides solid documentation and analysis of international and national assessments, and how the funding and assessments proved pivotal in the overhaul of American education. After an analysis of the underpinnings of the Common Core Standards, Zarra critiques the myths and facts of the Common Core, and balances these with the emerging realities impacting average Americans and their families. Zarra’s book is a must-read and will prove to be extremely useful to all who are concerned about public, private, and homeschool education in America.
Now in its second edition, The Power of Teacher Leaders, copublished by Routledge and Kappa Delta Pi, serves as a resource for understanding the varied ways that teacher leaders foster positive change in their schools, profession, and communities. By definition, teacher leaders are teachers who stay in the classroom, maintaining their commitment to teaching students while assuming informal and formal leadership positions beyond the classroom. It is that commitment to teaching and their desire to improve student learning that motivate them to become teacher leaders. Written by researchers and teacher leaders, each chapter describes a particular way that teachers are leading, connects to the relevant scholarly literature, and assesses the impact of the teacher leaders on students and communities. The second edition features new chapters on less common and unresearched teacher leadership roles, informal teacher leadership, and teacher leaders as social justice advocates. This edited collection shows how teacher leaders play an important role in the improvement of student learning, teacher professional development, and school and community climate.
Lead between the lines— evaluate Ed policies to emphasize the positives and minimize the negatives Although educational reform is intended for positive change, sometimes it misses the mark. However, when school leaders capitalize on the positive aspects of reforms they can strategize to ensure the best outcomes for students. Christopher Tienken, professor and international speaker, shares his insights on how to identify both positive and negative aspects of education reform to maximize the benefits for students. This book introduces a practical framework for interpreting educational reform within an evidence-based practice, and provides thoughtful ways to finesse results out of challenging policies. Designed for use on the ground level, this book features: • Seven specific creative compliance strategies to maximize student and educator success • Case studies that illustrate how to critique reforms and take action • Reflective questions to guide evaluation and application • Ethical decision-making checklist Analyzing both successful and unsuccessful reform ideas from the past, this book champions creative compliance and how to lead innovatively/judiciously.
In The School Reform Landscape: Fear, Mythologies, and Lies, the authors take an in-depth and controversial look at school reform since the launch of Sputnik. They scrutinize school reform events, proposals, and policies from the last 60 years through the lens of critical social theory and examine the ongoing tensions between the need to keep a vibrant unitary system of public education and the ongoing assault by corporate and elite interests in creating a dual system. Some of events, proposals, and policies critiqued include the Sputnik myth, A Nation At Risk, No Child Left Behind, the lies of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and other common reform schemes. The authors provide an evidence-based contrarian view of the free-market reform ideas and pierce the veil of the new reform policies to find that they are built not upon empirical evidence, but instead rest solidly on foundations of myth, fear, and lies. Ideas for a new set of reform policies, based on empirical evidence and supportive of a unitary, democratic system of education are presented.
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Defying Standardization pierces the veil of misinformation surrounding the push to standardize the curriculum expectations for 56 million public school children. It provides a high energy, passionate, and, well-researched argument of what curriculum should and can be to facilitate the development of unstandardized skills and dispositions necessary for a globally connected society. Defying Standardization dismantles the myths and lies surrounding international test rankings and demonstrates that there is no relationship to economic indicators or skills that drives the innovation economy. The book provides practical examples for how educators, students, and parents can defy standardization with locally developed, evidence-informed, and globally literate practices to facilitate the development of customized curricula. This book is for those who yearn for a vibrant, innovative, and creative school system in which all students are provided opportunities to pursue their passions and interests in ways that will prepare them to be well-rounded individuals and democratic citizens in a global community.
Defying Standardization pierces the veil of misinformation surrounding the push to standardize the curriculum expectations for 56 million public school children. It provides a high energy, passionate, and, well-researched argument of what curriculum should and can be to facilitate the development of unstandardized skills and dispositions necessary for a globally connected society. Defying Standardization dismantles the myths and lies surrounding international test rankings and demonstrates that there is no relationship to economic indicators or skills that drives the innovation economy. The book provides practical examples for how educators, students, and parents can defy standardization with locally developed, evidence-informed, and globally literate practices to facilitate the development of customized curricula. This book is for those who yearn for a vibrant, innovative, and creative school system in which all students are provided opportunities to pursue their passions and interests in ways that will prepare them to be well-rounded individuals and democratic citizens in a global community.