Printer Friendly
The Free Library
14,670,786 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

Top Ten Myths in Education.


This may be one of those books you love to hate. Of the Top Ten Myths in Education that the authors address, every experienced educational leader will find among them some of the "old saws" he or she continues to believe in, as well as those absurdly objectionable. And some of us wonder how anybody could be so ignorant as to still believe in these notions.

With more than a half century of combined involvement in public education, authors Larry Frase and William Steshly, professors of educational administration at San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU), founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area (generally the City and County of San Diego), and is part of the California State University system. , have targeted myths they believe, if discarded, "could catapult America's public school performance far ahead of its nearest competition--for less money than we're currently spending."

Do you believe our public schools can do all things for all people, including feeding hungry kids a breakfast and a lunch each day? Or that the local control evidenced by school boards is an effective method for establishing policies to run our schools? Or that public schools should not teach values? Or that teacher evaluations by administrators actually work? Or that teacher unions have been good for teachers? Or that merit pay Noun 1. merit pay - extra pay awarded to an employee on the basis of merit (especially to school teachers)
pay, remuneration, salary, wage, earnings - something that remunerates; "wages were paid by check"; "he wasted his pay on drink"; "they saved a quarter of all
 can't work?

These questions come from the myths the authors set about to refute. In each instance, they first propound To offer or propose. To form or put forward an item, plan, or idea for discussion and ultimate acceptance or rejection.


TO PROPOUND. To offer, to propose; as, the onus probandi in every case lies upon the party who propounds a will. 1 Curt. R. 637; 6 Eng. Eccl. R. 417.
 the myth as they understand it ("school boards focus on what students should learn, data-driven decision making, long-range goals and the district's fiscal capabilities"). They then state what they see as the reality ("narrow single views, personal biases and petty politics ... that often drive school boards"). Finally, they offer their solution to the myth ("state legislatures A state legislature may refer to a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.

The following legislatures exist in the following political subdivisions:
 should rewrite all education statutes to clearly ... distinguish between macro- and micromanagement This is about the management style. For the computer game strategy, see Micromanagement (computer gaming).
In business management, micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of their employees, generally used as a pejorative term.
").

This example reveals much about the authors' approach. They do a fine job of illustrating the myths, but their solutions are often unrealistic. However, the book does stimulate the reader's thinking on many educational issues.

(Top Ten Myths in Education: Fantasies Americans Love to Believe, by Larry E. Frase and William A. Streshly, Scarecrow Scarecrow

goes to Wizard of Oz to get brains. [Am. Lit.: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]

See : Ignorance


Scarecrow

can’t live up to his name. [Am. Lit.: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Am.
 Press, 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, Md. 20706, 2000, 134 pp., $14.95 softcover soft·cov·er  
adj.
Not bound between hard covers: softcover books; a softcover edition. 
)
COPYRIGHT 2001 American Association of School Administrators
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:Review
Author:Lorts, Jack
Publication:School Administrator
Article Type:Book Review
Date:Jun 1, 2001
Words:346
Previous Article:Coloring Outside the Lines: Mentoring Women into School Leadership.(Review)
Next Article:TRANSITIONS.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
Topics:



Related Articles
War Ends and Means.
Marijuana Myths/Marijuana Facts.
First Steps Toward Teaching the Reggio Way.
The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A How-To Guide for Educational Excellence, 2nd ed.
Designing Incentive Regulation for the Telecommunications Industry.(Review)
MYTHS AND CIVILIZATIONS OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS.(Review)
PROFESSIONAL BOOKS.(Review)
The Manufactured Crisis.(Review)
Language Ideologies: Critical Perspectives on the Official English Movement. Volume 1, Education and the Social Implications of Official Language....

Terms of use | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles