Misguided Education Reform

Chapter 1 What Happened to Early Childhood?
The Assault on Early Childhood
The Importance of Past Research
Kindergarten—The Children’s Garden
The Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten
Head Start’s Struggle
Privatizing Head Start
Universal Preschool
What is a Good Preschool?
The Elimination of Recess
Supporting Good Early Childhood Education
Chapter 2 The Trouble With Testing and Common Core Standards
The Effects of High-Stakes Testing on Students
Ignoring Instead of Celebrating Differences
Blaming Public Schools
Retention
Lowering Class Size is a Better Solution
High School and General Testing Controversy
Students with Disabilities, Testing and High School Diplomas
High-Stakes Cheating—Students
High-Stakes Cheating—Adults
Excuses
Common Core State Standards
Talking Pineapples and Testing Pushback
Testing to Benefit Students—Formative Assessment
Parent and Teacher Activism Concerning Tests
Chapter 3 The Politics of Reading
The Problems with Reading Instruction
The History of Reading, Phonics and Whole Language
Flawed Reading Recommendations
Reading First: Conflict of Interests and Unproven Science
Getting a Reading First Grant
Dr. Cupp’s Readers and Other Reading Programs
What Happened to Reading First ?
Antiquated School Libraries or No Libraries at All
Teaching Children to Love Reading
Chapter 4 Special Education—Abandoned Commitment
The Cost of Education for All
Burton Blatt’s Book and Special Education History
The Regular Education Initiative or Getting Rid of Special Education
The Reauthorizations of Public Law 94-142
The Problem With Inclusion—UDL, Technology, RTI and DIBELS
Students, Testing and Cognitive Disabilities
Privatizing Special Education
Giftedness Ignored
The Significance of Special Olympics
Chapter 5 The Dangers of Criminalizing Students
Student Behavior in Public Schools
Poverty and Discipline in Urban Schools
Zero Tolerance
Corporal Punishment
Teaching and Students with Problem Behavior
School Resource Officers
Student Surveillance
Uniforms—Dressing Alike—In a Democracy
The School Counselor’s Role
Schools that Care About Students
Chapter 6 The Elimination of the Arts
Stealing The Arts From Children—Especially the Poor
Testing and the Arts
Where the Arts Have Been Stolen
How the Arts Improve Scores in Other Subjects
Student Artists of All Backgrounds
The Importance of Certified Art Teachers
The Arts Job Market and Saving the Arts in Our Public Schools
Chapter 7 The Public School Building Problem
Poor School Facilities
Poor Rural and Native American Schools
High Achievers and Ramshackle Schools
Dangerous and Toxic Schools
The Costs of Poorly Maintained Schools
Schools—Earthquakes and Tornadoes
Overcrowded Schools
The Importance of School Facilities to Achievement
Public Schools or Charter Schools Facility Funding?
Supporting Good School Facilities for All Children

“The Trouble with Testing and Common Core State Standards”chapter alone, is worth the price of the book. The author clearly substantiates the nonsense, abuses and frauds associated with the high-stakes testing movement. The discussion about the Common Core State Standards clearly illustrates how non K-12 individuals devised the core to belittle teachers and the public schools. The author notes that no formative evaluation has ever been part of any of the testing movements. And, then notes the total lack of pilot testing on the current vogue of achievement tests. This is must read chapter by all educational policy makers.