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A review by ermesomega
The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education by Diane Ravitch
2.0
Great topic and good information.
The overall format of the book could be improved. It feels like it could have been summed up in half as many pages. Many topics are retread over and over without delving deeper into the "why" of what is wrong.
One of the main issues deals with testing, which is mentioned over and over. A solution is only mentioned once and fixes are briefly covered. Issues with race and poverty are alluded to, but no real depth is discussed. It dances around larger questions about education reform without asking hard questions. Corrupt politicians, rogue capitalist firms, free market pressures, which it talks about existing, and chides, but never asks why they occurred, or why they existed. I only write this because the book was so long and reiterated the point, but never followed it to any conclusion.
The overall format of the book could be improved. It feels like it could have been summed up in half as many pages. Many topics are retread over and over without delving deeper into the "why" of what is wrong.
One of the main issues deals with testing, which is mentioned over and over. A solution is only mentioned once and fixes are briefly covered. Issues with race and poverty are alluded to, but no real depth is discussed. It dances around larger questions about education reform without asking hard questions. Corrupt politicians, rogue capitalist firms, free market pressures, which it talks about existing, and chides, but never asks why they occurred, or why they existed. I only write this because the book was so long and reiterated the point, but never followed it to any conclusion.