What is a parent to make of the current
narrative about public education in the United States? We hear that our public
schools are mediocre at best and dysfunctional and unsafe at worst. We hear
politicians and pundits arguing that the country will fall behind economic
competitors like China and Japan, if our schools do not improve. We hear
education reformers, well-funded by corporate lions like Bill Gates and the
Walton family, suggesting a smorgasbord of solutions from school choice to more
rigorous standards and from increased standardized tests to test-based teacher
accountability. What is education reform and how will it impact schools,
children and parents? What are charter schools and should I send my child to
one? What is the impact of standardized testing on my child? Should I opt my
child out of standardized testing? How can I make sure my child gets a good
teacher? What does good reading and writing instruction look like? How should
technology be used in the schools and at home? A Parent’s Guide to Public
Education in the 21st Century is written to answer these questions and help
today’s parents sort through the weeds of educational reform to make informed
decisions designed to get the best possible education for their children. The
book starts from the point of view that public education is a vital
institution, central to our democracy and economic independence, and then
suggests ways that parents can not only get the best of education for their own
children, but also support policies that will make the institution of public
education stronger for future generations.
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