Reclaiming Education

Cochran-Smith and her research team argue that it is time for teacher educators to reclaim accountability. They critique major accountability initiatives, exposing the lack of evidence behind these policies and the negative impact they have on teacher education. They also offer an achievable alternative based on a commitment to equity and democracy.

This book is an appeal to those directly and indirectly involved in education reform to reconsider the very nature of education as a process of transformation and not, as the neoliberal corporate model insists upon, as a “product.” By using Paulo Freire’s fundamental principle of understanding “education as the practice of freedom,” and expanding upon it with bell hooks’ own spiritual understanding of that principle, this book offers readers the opportunity to rethink what education is, and what it is not. Utilizing the work of diverse thinkers and critics, the book lays out a criticism of neoliberalism’s profound influence on education reform and our culture generally. It reaffirms the political and ethical import of education for individuals and for our nation as a whole.

Are you satisfied that your children's current educational environment is bringing out their best potential? In a world where traditional education systems make little or no accommodation for individual learning styles (such as auditory or visual learning), and they're failing to teach even the basics, it's time for parents to take charge of their children's education. In Reclaiming Education, parents are equipped with practical and immediately useful tools to work in partnership with their children to identify and develop their learning styles and strengths. If you want to help learners build the kind of confidence that inspires lifelong learning, get them involved in the solutions for their own success. In this book, both parents and children can learn how to Identify learning style strengths Develop strategies for adapting to less than ideal circumstances Design an effective study space environment that's tailored to your child's needs Motivate even the most resistant learners A great faith-based parenting resource for anyone who feels like the traditional education system has failed their children, and for anyone interested in homeschooling or simply helping their children to succeed in any type of school setting. Say goodbye to a one-size-fits-all education and unlock your child's full learning potential.

What is wrong with education? Why do educational reforms always miss their target? How can we create a better education system? And what can we learn from other countries? Reclaiming Education tackles the challenges facing education that really matter - hte ones that academics often ignore, parents demand solution to and politicians need to confront. Drawing on his global research, James Tooley shows that there is an alternative to poor quality and wasteful inefficiency in education, and that education can be radically transformed to guarantee freedom and higher standards. "Tooley radically challenges any complacency we may have about education in the 21st century." Sir Bob Salisbury "Tooley is an extremist: some of his ideas are outrageous!" Professor Geoffrey Walford, University of Oxford "This is truly a radical book. It should be read by everyone who thinks deeply about education." Sir Christopher Ball

Reclaiming Education for Democracy subjects the prophets and doctrines of educational neoliberalism to scrutiny in order to provide a rationale and vision for public education beyond the limits of No Child Left Behind. The authors combine a history of recent education policy with an in- depth analysis of the origins of such policy and its impact on professional educators. The public face of these policies is separated from motives rooted in politics, profit, and ideology. The book also searches for new insights in understanding the neoliberal and managerialist assault on education by examining the psychology of advocates who demonstrate a special animus toward universal public education. The manipulation of public education by No Child Left Behind is a case study in the general approach to public institutions taken by the politicians and theorists in these camps. K-12 education has been subjected to deceptive descriptive analyses, marginalization of its professional leadership, manipulation of its goals, the imposition of illegitimate quality markers, a grab on its resources by corporate profiteers, and a demoralization of its rank and file. This book helps us think beyond this new commonsense of education. Recipient: 2009 AERA Division K Award for Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education

Reclaiming Education in the Age of PISA provides a critical analysis of the OECD’s educational agenda and its main tool, namely, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). Based on an analysis of the OECD’s public documents, including publications, webpages, and videos, d’Agnese argues that PISA is not just an assessment tool, but rather an all-encompassing framework that intends to govern education, schooling, living and society worldwide. This creation of what d’Agnese calls a life-brand raises concerns that education and learning are becoming wares and that, consequently, we run the risk of transforming schools into providers and teachers into agents of preconceived learning packages. In pursuing only one concept of education, and a very narrow one at that, d’Agnese argues that OECD not only narrows down education to a mere reproductive process, but that such an approach also erases the basic rules by which living develops and evolves. In this sense PISA is but another form of authoritarian teaching, authoritarian teaching being understood as any and every educational project which sets aims and purposes of education without giving the possibility to discuss and challenge such aims and purposes. Reclaiming Education in the Age of PISA suggests a different educational logic, emphasizing that schooling is not just a place to produce the correct skills, but is also a matter of experimentation, hesitation and wait, one in which teachers and students attempt to dwell in pure potentiality for growth. Providing a strong argument that a different way to conceive of schooling deserves our attention, this book will be essential reading for academics, researchers and postgraduates in the fields of educational philosophy and theory, inclusive education and social justice. It should also be of interest to policymakers and educational activists.

Teachers of Color describes how racism serves as a continuous barrier against diversifying the teaching force and offers tools to support educators who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of Color on both a systemic and interpersonal level. Based on in-depth interviews, digital narratives, and questionnaires, the book analyzes the toll of racism on their professional experiences and personal wellbeing, as well as their resistance and reimagination of schools. Teacher educator and educational researcher Rita Kohli documents the hostile racial climate that teachers of color experience over the course of their academic and professional lives--first as students and preservice teachers and later in their classrooms and schools. She also highlights the tools of resistance these teachers employ to challenge institutionalized oppression and the kinds of professional development and support they need to thrive. Analyzed through the lens of critical race theory, Teachers of Color exposes the ongoing racialization via counter-stories from thirty racially, geographically, and professionally diverse educators. The book concludes with recommendations that various education stakeholders can employ to improve the racial climates of schools and support the growing diversity of the teaching force. At this critical moment, Kohli offers readers an opportunity to strengthen their racial literacies and better understand the strengths, struggles, and power of teachers of color.

Why School? is a little book driven by big questions. What does it mean to be educated? What is intelligence? How should we think about intelligence, education, and opportunity in an open society? Drawing on forty years of teaching and research and "a profound understanding of the opportunities, both intellectual and economic, that come from education" (Booklist), award-winning author Mike Rose reflects on these and other questions related to public schooling in America. He answers them in beautifully written chapters that are both rich in detail and informed by an extensive knowledge of history, the psychology of learning, and the politics of education. This paperback edition includes three new chapters showing how cognitive science actually narrows our understanding of learning, how to increase college graduation rates, and how to value the teaching of basic skills. An updated introduction by Rose, who has been hailed as "a superb writer and an even better storyteller" (TLN Teachers Network), reflects on recent developments in school reform. Lauded as "a beautifully written work of literary nonfiction" (The Christian Science Monitor) and called "stunning" by the New Educator Journal, Why School? offers an eloquent call for a bountiful democratic vision of the purpose of schooling.