‘Change Without Reform in American Education’ — book excerpt
Larry Cuban is a former high school social studies teacher and a school district superintendent (in Arlington, VA) who has been teaching at Stanford University for more than 20 years and conducting research on wave after wave of school reform and their effects. In just about every case, the effects of reform effects have been less than promised. In his new book, “Inside the Black Box of Classroom Practice: Change Without Reform in American Education,” he takes us into classrooms and drills down into research to make his case. (My colleague Jay Mathews reviewed the book here.) Here is an excerpt from the book.By Larry Cuban
In this book, I have highlighted the errors of reform-driven policymakers and entrepreneurial business and civic elites for supporting initiatives that have, in my judgment, been unhelpful in schools and misled the public. Yet in criticizing these policymakers I have neglected to point out positive outcomes these reform-minded diverse policy elites with similar interests have achieved over the past three decades.
Positive Outcomes of Three Decades of Economic-driven School Reforms
- Hastened shift from defining school effectiveness as the level of resources that go into schooling children and youth to exclusive concentration on outcomes.
Since the late-19th century, policymakers judged school quality and effectiveness by how
Eighth grader: What bothered me most about new Common Core test
Here’s a piece from an eighth grade student named Isaiah Schrader about his recent experience with the new Common Core-aligned assessment tests he and other New York students just took. Isaiah, who is 14 years old, attends Anne M. Dorner … Continue reading →
What one teacher wants for Teacher Appreciation WeekWhat do I want for teacher appreciation week @networkpubliced? For teachers to not be thrown under the bus in the name of ed reform. — Michelle Gunderson (@MSGunderson) May 8, 2013  |
