Restoring Honor to Public Schools

A Teacher's Vision for American Education

By (author) William E. Smith Foreword by Gerald Bracey

Not available to order

Publication date:

16 January 2009

Length of book:

264 pages

Publisher

R&L Education

ISBN-13: 9781578869282

In this insightful analysis of public school policy, including No Child Left Behind, William E. Smith offers a unique perspective—he has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; served in several administrative roles, including principal of an impoverished, rural K-5 school and a K-12 laboratory school; and been a teacher educator and educational scholar, before returning to the classroom. In Restoring Honor to Public Schools: A Teacher's Vision for American Education, Smith draws upon thirty years of experience in varied roles to provide an insider's look at teaching and learning. With clear and uncompromising analysis, he assesses the real impact of politics and educational policymaking on our children's lives. Smith provides thoughtful and achievable recommendations for honoring teachers and teaching and restoring civility and intelligence to our nation's discourse about education.

Chapter 1 Introduction Part 2 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The Reality, the Image, and the Discrediting of America's Public Schools Chapter 3 Learning to Honor Education: A Lesson from Akina Chapter 4 The Good News about America's Schools Chapter 5 How Politicians and Journalists Shape Public Perceptions of Schools Chapter 6 The Consequences of Misrepresenting Public School Quality Part 7 Illusions, Misguided Notions, and Questionable Intentions: How Educational Policymaking Has Gone Wrong Chapter 8 High Stakes Accountability Measures and Illusions of Quality Chapter 9 A Tale of Two Teachers: The Passionate Professional and the Dispirited Functionary Chapter 10 The No Child Left Behind Act: Illusion and Reality Chapter 11 The Truth about the Children Left Behind Chapter 12 The NAEP and International Assessments: Education's Catch-22 Chapter 13 The Political Process of Educational Reform: How Parents, Educators, and Children Get Left Behind Chapter 14 Why Nostalgia Is a Poor Basis for Educational Policy Chapter 15 The Shortcomings of Common Sense as a Basis for Educational Policy Part 16 Honoring Teachers and the Process of Educational Change: Making a Commitment to Sound Principles Chapter 17 Honoring Teachers and Teaching Chapter 18 Elevating Our Nation's Public Discourse about Education Chapter 19 Afterword

In this examination of educational politics and policy, Smith provides an insider's look at public schools by drawing on his experiences as a teacher, administrator, and teacher educator.