- Article
- Comments ()
- Videos
EDUCATION MYTHS: WHAT SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS WANT YOU TO BELIEVE
ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS -- AND WHY IT ISN'T SO
By Jay P. Greene
Rowman and Littlefield, $24.95, 225 pages
REVIEWED BY MARTIN MORSE WOOSTER
The debates about our public schools are as contentious as ever. But in the clamor over education reform, education researchers are rarely heard from. There are lots of education journals out there, and education researchers are numerous enough to have their own professional association. Yet most education research remains obscure, even when professors produce studies that add to our knowledge on how to improve schools.
There are several reasons why you haven't heard of most education research. Like far too many social scientists, most education researchers produce jargon-laden prose that a parent, teacher or concerned citizen would find impenetrable. Moreover, education researchers use a great deal of sophisticated mathematical analysis that math-impaired readers find hard to understand.
Because education researchers are rarely heard from, there are a great many myths about our schools that should be refuted but aren't. In "Education Myths," Jay P. Greene decisively refutes 18 myths that are routinely taken as facts by pundits and reporters. Mr. Greene is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute (for which I have consulted). Anyone interested in education reform will find Mr. Greene's book timely and valuable.
Among the myths Mr. Greene refutes in his book are these:
Post a comment
There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.