How Political Correctness Weakens Schools: Stop Losing and Start Winning Educational Excellence

by Jim Dueck

Overview

Education for this generation’s youth is the key for our nation’s future well-being but it is now threatened by political correctness. A politically correct environment seeks to avoid controversial issues by maintaining the status quo on matters related to workers in the education system while avoiding the best interests of the stakeholders, and it is for this reason that political correctness must be challenged on many issues in our school system, so that our children have a better chance for learning well and then living well.

This book’s focus is on using accountability to pressure the system toward implementing reforms necessary for winning. It deals with educational policies, which are controversial and also identified by others for being problematic, rather than classroom practices. The solutions, or recommendations, proposed are intended to ensure that policies align with the best interests of students, parents, and taxpayers rather than with those of the service providers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475829877
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/07/2016
Pages:	194
Product dimensions:	5.94(w) x 8.96(h) x 0.39(d)

About the Author

Jim Dueck, EdD, has a career in education spanning forty years of service as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and assistant deputy minister. He has also advised representatives from almost fifty education systems around the world regarding assessment and accountability in education, including the U.S. government’s launch of the Race to the Top initiative.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction

1. Learning Well and Living Well
2. Low Expectations Provides for Mediocre Education
3. Moving from Intuition to Intelligence
4. Harnessing Power Through Comparability
5. Choice: A Democratic Right
6. Coaches Are Not Evaluators
7. Birth Rather Than Worth Matters Too Much
8. Teachers’ Professional Development
9. Reducing Administration Costs
10. Maximizing Students’ Work Year
11. Unions Belong in The Accountability Tent
12. Accountability for University Departments of Education
13. Job-For-Life Is a Wrong Practice
14. Rewarding Performance
15. Holding Parents Accountable
16. Reducing Unfairness To Students
17. Meeting The Costs

Summary of Recommendations
References

Editorial Reviews

Dr. Dueck deserves credit for presenting a clear, wide-ranging and detailed vision for our school systems based on a wealth of experience and research data. I particularly appreciate that his recommendations go beyond the usual high-level statements to contain detailed, practical and implementable steps for policymakers. While I suspect many readers will disagree with some of Dr. Dueck’s diagnoses and recommendations as I did, his call for greater transparency for parents and voters, as well as greater focus on student success as a driver of policy should be welcomed by all who are concerned with the state of K-12 education in North America.

Daniel Weisberg

Dr. Jim Dueck exposes the education system to a much needed strong light in which he identifies the usual suspects of teacher unions, school boards, politicians and vested education interest groups, who work in tandem to lock-up education into spending more than is necessary to get results by coddling teachers, buying political peace at any price and ensuring that needed education reforms for sterling results are stifled in their infancy. Bravo on Dr. Dueck for stating what is considered dangerous for almost everyone else in society. This book is the tonic needed to remedy what looks like systematic insanity costing financial resources and students’ bright futures.

Angus McBeath

Jim Dueck continues to be a provocative voice around issues of educational reform and improvement. With decades of experience behind him, Dueck offers recommendations on issues ranging from school accountability to educator accountability, from tenure to professional development to teacher preparation. You may not agree with everything he proposes, but he’ll make you think.

Joanne Weiss

The title of this book is on target as just about every politically sensitive topic in education is put under the microscope. From union influence to testing, Jim Dueck doesn't hold any punches. With well-reasoned evidence he lays out a provocative set of arguments that should push the thinking of education reformers from around the globe, but particularly in North America.

Paul Herdman