Unraveling Reform Rhetoric: What Educators Need to Know and Understand

by Jeff Swensson, John Ellis, Michael Shaffer associate professor of Educational Leadership - Clinical, Ball State Univer

Overview

Traditional public educators in the US have too little information about the free market of schooling, otherwise known as privatization/choice education. As a result, traditional public education colleagues have lost sight of where they are and how they got there. In this primer, educators, parents/caregivers, and policymakers are offered an examination of the forces and factors that undercut traditional public education and an inquiry into the primary purpose and quality instruction that distinguishes traditional public education from free market schooling.



Without knowing about the educational misdirection fostered by free market schooling, traditional public education in the US cannot invest in continuous improvement necessary to enrich the futures of all students and our nation’s democracy. The time has come for traditional public educators to study how we got out on a limb. This book explores the nature of free market schooling and discusses the information that traditional public educators need to muster a defense of purpose, quality, social justice, and how to think. Practical and theoretical insights throughout this book focus on professional practice in traditional public education as the means by which colleagues can assert excellence on behalf of all students while thwarting the negative impacts of free market schooling.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475850772
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/24/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	150
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Jeff Swensson served in traditional public education as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent across the Midwest for the past 45 years. He graduated from Amherst College, received his MAT from Northwestern University, and earned his PhD from Indiana University.



John Ellis served public education across Indiana as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, and Director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents for more than 43 years. He graduated from Ball State University with a BA in education and a Master’s in Education before earning his PhD from Indiana State University.



Michael Shaffer served in schools in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Iowa as an assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent. He graduated from Morehead State University with a BA and MA in elementary education and earned his Education Specialist and Education Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Ball State University.

Table of Contents

Preface: Climb Out on a Limb with Us!

Introduction: How this primer works

Chapter 1: The Primary Purpose of Traditional Public Education vs. Free Market Theory

Chapter 2: Primer? Primer? We Don’t Need a Stinking Primer!

Chapter 3: Where in the World Is Traditional Public Education?

Chapter 4: The Mechanisms Sold as Education in the Free Market

Chapter 5: Let’s Meet Two Advocates for Free Market Schooling

Chapter 6: The Sinkhole that Is Context of the Free Market

Chapter 7: Free Market ATM’s from Coast-to-Coast

Chapter 8: The Public Good and Traditional Public Education

Chapter 9: What We Don’t Know About the Free Market Hurts

Chapter 10: Students Sold Short in the Free Market

Chapter 11: Subtlety in the Free Market: “Yeah, But…”

Chapter 12: The Free Market Is a Desperate Place; Traditional Public Education to the Rescue

Chapter 13: What It Takes to Climb Off the Limb

References

Author Bio

Editorial Reviews

Given the critical discussion between public and private educational delivery in our country, Drs. Swensson, Ellis, and Shaffer have delivered an excellent book with a non-political analysis that is a good read for practitioners and non-practitioners.

Richard Helton

Indiana stands as ground zero in efforts to privatize public education. From approval of a charter school law in 2001 to the nation’s largest school voucher program, its policymakers are unwavering champions of market-driven approaches to educating children. Educators Jeff Swensson, John Ellis, and Mike Shaffer were uniquely positioned to watch the Hoosier State’s grand experiment with school choice unfold and now offer a call-to-arms to colleagues in public education. Their two volumes describe the threat posed by privatization and—more important—why and how it must be addressed. Their work makes for a fascinating read and an important resource for educators inspired to respond.

Karen Francisco