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| Common Sense School Reform, by Frederick Hess (2004). Based on real school stories, this book challenges traditional reform strategies like class size reduction, small schools, and enhanced professional development, and offers radical reforms based on accountability, teacher flexibility, competition, and strong leadership. The author argues that the problem with U.S. public schools has nothing to do with education, but with poor management. Educating the "Right" Way: Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality, by Michael Apple (2001). Why have the needs of private business become top priorities in the public classroom? How did school vouchers move from the conservative fringe to the political mainstream? Why are scores on standardized tests falling, even as teachers are forced to cram more "facts" into their curricula? Apple offers concrete, common-sense solutions that show what critical educators and parents can do to interrupt these trends and develop a more democratic educational system, suited to the needs of all American children. Inside Charter Schools: The Paradox of Radical Decentralization, by Bruce Fuller (2001). This book takes readers into six strikingly different schools, from an evangelical home schooling charter in California to a back-to-basics charter in a black neighborhood in Lansing, Michigan. Powerful Reforms with Shallow Roots, by Larry Cuban and Michael Usdan (2003). Featuring close-up case studies of six urban districts (Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Boston, San Diego, and Seattle), this book explores the reasons why these cities chose to alter their traditional school governance structures and analyzes what happened when the reforms were implemented. School-Family Partnerships for Children's Success, by Evanthia Patrikakou, Roger Weissberg, Sam Redding, and Herbert Walberg (eds). (2005). While research has shown that parental involvement plays a key role in academic achievement, most schools lack strong parental support. This book provides tools and strategies for teachers and administrators to create positive relationships and productive school-family partnerships by addressing the social and cultural realities of diverse families. Tinkering towards Utopia: A Century of Public School Reform, by David Tyack and Larry Cuban (1996). Explores some basic questions about the nature of educational reform. Why has it been so difficult to change the basic institutional patterns of schooling? What actually happened when reformers tried to "reinvent" schooling? The authors also suggest that teachers must be at the heart of any effort to renew our schools. |