Angry Parents, Failing Schools

Rating:
Summary: Trying to understand your child's school? READ THIS!
Review: A MUST-READ! In a fever to "reform" our schools for "21st century" "higher-order thinking skills", educational bureaucrats have reduced the amount of substantive content in curricula and replaced it with touchy-feelie psychobabble encouraging feelings, writing about problems instead of solving them, and meaningless goals. McEwan, an award-winning school principal takes the educrats to task. Warning: the subject is not inner-city schools; it may very well include the school YOUR kids attend. Yes, YOUR kids!

I found McEwan's book invaluable simply because it is up-to-date and focused on everyday schools that we might suppose would be less influenced by wacko theories.

I'd heartily recommend this book to parents, school board members, newspaper editors and others who are concerned about quality in supposedly "good" school districts.

There are some great books that are more detailed and technical (Hirsch, Ravitch) and some that are passionate (Sykes), but THIS is the book to recommend to parents who want to quickly understand the odd practices going on in their own children's school.

Rating:
Summary: Honest, but Unfair II
Review: As a concerned father of two boys, I found this book to be an extremely useful starting point for educating myself about the current state of American schools. McEwan does a wonderful job of wading through the educational jargon, identifying the major issues being debated today, and giving a brief history of the evolution of public schools in the US. The book is full of relevant anecdotes and is heavily footnoted.

While McEwan makes no secret of her traditionalist views, her critical treatment of progressivism is abrupt and consequently shallow. My suspicion is that many of the progressivist ideas have merit, but incompetent implementation of those ideas has resulted in such prominent failures that the ideas themselves are condemned. McEwan simply fails to make this distinction.

Overall, though, this was a great book that defied me to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: A Wealth of Information
Review: As a concerned father of two boys, I found this book to be an extremely useful starting point for educating myself about the current state of American schools. McEwan does a wonderful job of wading through the educational jargon, identifying the major issues being debated today, and giving a brief history of the evolution of public schools in the US. The book is full of relevant anecdotes and is heavily footnoted.

While McEwan makes no secret of her traditionalist views, her critical treatment of progressivism is abrupt and consequently shallow. My suspicion is that many of the progressivist ideas have merit, but incompetent implementation of those ideas has resulted in such prominent failures that the ideas themselves are condemned. McEwan simply fails to make this distinction.

Overall, though, this was a great book that defied me to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: A mandatory handbook for all parents of school-aged kids.
Review: As a parent who knew instinctively that something was amiss at my kids' public school, but didn't have the information handy at the time to help me name the problems, I highly recommend Angry Parents, Failing Schools by Elaine McEwan.

This book, written by a teacher/principal/asst.superintendent, explains the progressive methodology which has led our schools into the tank via whole language, fuzzy math, inventive spelling, etc. She describes in "real person" language the federal education programs, the education establishment's mindset, and the philosophy behind the ill-conceived programs they are promoting.

All parents should have this book to help them understand the current controversial educational landscape in America. Parents will discover the source of that vague uneasiness, or downright frustration so many of us experience each year that our children are in school. And because Angry Parents, Failing Schools was written by an educator, it is not only powerfully credible, but encourages positive action to help heal our public schools. This is a must read for all parents.

Rating:
Summary: The most helpful book for parents - a must-read!
Review: As a parent who was having doubts about the curriculum and instructional methods in our schools, I read this book from cover to cover in one night. Elaine McEwan strips the candy coating off such methods as multiage classrooms, School-to-Work, whole language, and Every Day math and exposes them for what they are: viruses that are invading our schools and failing our children. This book not only helps parents identify the problems in their schools, it also gives great advice on how to work at making changes - from dealing with school board members that ignore the facts to listing dozens of websites where parents can get more information. Elaine cuts through the educational jargon used by school officials and writes in a way that is easily understood by all. I urge all parents to read this book - you will be enlightened and empowered by the experience!

Rating:
Summary: Not yet an "Angry Parent"? You will be if you read this book
Review: Have the teachers and administrators at your kids' schoolexplained their teaching methods using phrases like"developmentally appropriate", "child-centered","individual learning styles", "critical thinking skills", "problem-solving approach","discovery learning" and "integrated holisitic curriculum"?

Have you ever walked away from the school thinking deep down that they seemed to be wasting a lot of time and effort on frivolous activities that have little in the way of clear learning objectives, but decided not to say anything because they seemed to know what they were doing?

Well, they don't. Elaine McEwan makes this fact abundantly clear in this book. All the flowery education jargon aside, McEwan reveals that these "progressive" teaching methods are not just unproven -- they have been actually been shown by controlled, replicated experimental research to be LESS effective than the practices they replace.

McEwan explains how the progressive movement in K-12 schooling, which accelerated in the 1990's with such "reforms" as "Whole Language", "Fuzzy Math", "Goals 2000" and "School-to-Work", have brought public education in America to a point that it is no longer focused upon academic learning, but is increasingly concerned with instilling the proper attitudes, beliefs and values in the children it supposedly educates.

Parents around the nation are indeed angry. The most vocal are those who have done their homework, looked into the research behind the teaching methods the schools have adopted and found that the schools are headed exactly in the wrong direction. McEwan does a good job of relating the frustrations of the parents who have approached the school to express their well-founded concerns, only to be met by a patronizing arrogance borne of the knowledge that the parents really have very little influence over school curriculum and instruction policy.

She describes the awakening of the many parents she interviewed, who after months and years of observation and research have come to realize that the schools have been hijacked by an education establishment that use them to forward their own liberal social agenda through politically-centered and value-laden "curricula" such as multilturalism, environmentalism and health (read: sex)education.

McEwan taps into this growing vien of discontent, and provides numerous specific examples of the obstacles parents have encountered when they ask questions of their school officials or try to bring about changes.

"Angry Parents" helps people make sense of the opaque jargon school officials use to give their failed methods an aura of professionalism. It's indespensible reading for anyone who has a nagging fear that their child's school is on the wrong track, but have been quiet about their concerns because of an innate trust in the institution of public schooling.

McEwan shows that this trust is misplaced, a conclusion that she, as a public school educator, came to only after a period of soul-searching and honest, objective study that we can only wish was more common among our public school officials.

Rating:
Summary: Not yet an "Angry Parent"? You will be if you read this book
Review: Have the teachers and administrators at your kids' schoolexplained their teaching methods using phrases like"developmentally appropriate", "child-centered","individual learning styles", "critical thinking skills", "problem-solving approach","discovery learning" and "integrated holisitic curriculum"?

Have you ever walked away from the school thinking deep down that they seemed to be wasting a lot of time and effort on frivolous activities that have little in the way of clear learning objectives, but decided not to say anything because they seemed to know what they were doing?

Well, they don't. Elaine McEwan makes this fact abundantly clear in this book. All the flowery education jargon aside, McEwan reveals that these "progressive" teaching methods are not just unproven -- they have been actually been shown by controlled, replicated experimental research to be LESS effective than the practices they replace.

McEwan explains how the progressive movement in K-12 schooling, which accelerated in the 1990's with such "reforms" as "Whole Language", "Fuzzy Math", "Goals 2000" and "School-to-Work", have brought public education in America to a point that it is no longer focused upon academic learning, but is increasingly concerned with instilling the proper attitudes, beliefs and values in the children it supposedly educates.

Parents around the nation are indeed angry. The most vocal are those who have done their homework, looked into the research behind the teaching methods the schools have adopted and found that the schools are headed exactly in the wrong direction. McEwan does a good job of relating the frustrations of the parents who have approached the school to express their well-founded concerns, only to be met by a patronizing arrogance borne of the knowledge that the parents really have very little influence over school curriculum and instruction policy.

She describes the awakening of the many parents she interviewed, who after months and years of observation and research have come to realize that the schools have been hijacked by an education establishment that use them to forward their own liberal social agenda through politically-centered and value-laden "curricula" such as multilturalism, environmentalism and health (read: sex)education.

McEwan taps into this growing vien of discontent, and provides numerous specific examples of the obstacles parents have encountered when they ask questions of their school officials or try to bring about changes.

"Angry Parents" helps people make sense of the opaque jargon school officials use to give their failed methods an aura of professionalism. It's indespensible reading for anyone who has a nagging fear that their child's school is on the wrong track, but have been quiet about their concerns because of an innate trust in the institution of public schooling.

McEwan shows that this trust is misplaced, a conclusion that she, as a public school educator, came to only after a period of soul-searching and honest, objective study that we can only wish was more common among our public school officials.

Rating:
Summary: This book will pull the blinders from your eyes!
Review: I am a Ph.D. student in mathematics and a mother of three children. I was oblivious to the crisis in the public schools until I read this book. I wrote to the author and thanked her for writing the book. This book is very understandable and is a good introduction into what is REALLY happening in our public schools. Every parent and tax payer should read this book. Get informed and get involved!

Rating:
Summary: The book informs us why the public schools are declining.
Review: I am a Ph.D. student in mathematics and a mother of three children. I was oblivious to the crisis in the public schools until I read this book. I wrote to the author and thanked her for writing the book. This book is very understandable and is a good introduction into what is REALLY happening in our public schools. Every parent and tax payer should read this book. Get informed and get involved!

Rating:
Summary: The most helpful book for parents - a must-read!
Review: I haven't read the entire book but the words digested so far are true. However, fingers are being pointed at individuals who don't deserve it: teachers. I have been in the education field for 11 years, teaching for the last four. I have taught in middle-upper level socioeconomic neighborhoods with a racially mixed student base (though primarily caucasion). I have taught in a very low socioeconomic neighborhood where segregation is the only choice (primarily black). My degree in is in Exceptional Student Education with certification in Elementary Education and English Speakers of Other Languages. My teaching experiences lie in the elementary setting and include second grade, third grade, K-5 writing and 1-5 Educably Mentally Handicapped. I'm writing this to let you know of my credentials. However, let me get on to my opinion of the book.

Recently my niece began 6th grade at a private school. She received about 7 different workbooks in addition to 2-3 hardback textbooks. I compared that curriculum to the curriculum used in the same district (Palm Beach, Florida) but at public schools. I agree that education has changed from "hard-core stick-to-the-objective" method to whole language, cooperative learning and higher order thinking skills. However, it isn't always the teachers' desire to do this. It often isn't the principal's or even the superintedent's fault. It lies with each state's and the Federal Boards of Education.

Florida gives "bad" schools the title "critically low." These are derived from test scores. Last year I worked at one of the "critical schools." Our former commissioner of education, Frank Brogan, felt those schools weren't doing their job and sent in the troops. One such person ($$$$$$$$) was Dr. Bill Blokker (I hope his name is spelled correctly). Everyone at these schools was under alot of stress. Ironically, all the "critical" schools were in the welfare, low/no income areas with high discipline problems. That creates more stress. Schools often do things in ways that they don't want to in order to please the higher-ups. Add to that the unwillingness for parents to comprehend what goes on in classrooms. Unlike a manager in a fast-food chain, we can't hire and fire who we want, we don't have much say in how our franchise is run and we don't get paid to put up with the mental abuse which comes with working in various geographic areas (not necessarily secondary schools). Imagine running this franchise without napkins, catsup, hamburger, ice or cups. Better yet, imagine having to purchase all these items with your own, "slap-in-the-face" salary. For 9-10 different subjects, I have ONE textbook (I teach 2nd grade) and TWO workbooks which can be written in (all others must be copied). (Each child has their own, thank goodness.) Hey, I don't even have a "workable" curriculum for the areas of Science, Health or Social Studies (I do have a lasar disc and material which can be copied but takes 3 hours to plan one week's lesson). Add into that the potential for unfair administration, conflicting messages for methods of teaching (one day practice sheets are OK, the next day they are forbidden) and, of course, increased class size with lack of assistance.

I do agree with the philosophies in this book but blaming the schools and those working in them isn't right. We only do what we are told to do with the information we are given. I love teaching. If I didn't, I wouldn't have taken the time to write what I did. We need to get back to the basics but that will take parents doing something major. It will also take more than writing a best-selling book. If you have anything to respond to, please write me. I only want the best for our children, but as the old saying goes, it takes a village.