What's Wrong with Our Schools: and How We Can Fix Them

201 Pages·2010·0.56 MB·English

by  Michael C. Zwaagstra

PRAISE FOR WHAT’S WRONG WITH OUR SCHOOLS
“A clear, fluent, and (yes!) commonsense alternative to the culture of roman-
tic progressivism that has captured so completely the education establishment
throughout North America. The authors have read the research, but they
draw also critically on classroom experience and make recommendations that
are practical in the distinctly unideal reality of today’s public school systems.”
—Peter Brimelow, author of The Worm in the Apple
“This is simply the best book on the public school I have seen. Written in
straightforward language, parents are informed about the foolish fads that
still afflict our public schools. Consistent with the research and without con-
descension, the book advocates a return to common sense.” —Mark Holmes,
assistant director and professor emeritus, University of Toronto–OISE, Grad-
uate School of Education, Ontario; author of The Reformation of Canada’s
Schools
“The authors do an outstanding job of puncturing the balloon of progressive
education, explaining in straightforward, clear, and compelling fashion why
much of American K–12 education has failed over the past couple decades.
Whole language, fuzzy math, constructivism, and the usual suspects are nicely
critiqued. As What’s Wrong with Our Schools indicates, the main culprit in
all this is an abandonment of common sense by the gurus who dominate the
profession. All in all, a great read, especially for parents wondering whether
the emperor has any clothes or not.” —J. Martin Rochester, Curators’ Dis-
tinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science, University of Missouri–St.
Louis; author of Class Warfare

What’s Wrong with
Our Schools
and How We Can Fix Them
MICHAEL C. ZWAAGSTRA,
RODNEY A. CLIFTON,
AND JOHN C. LONG
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD EDUCATION
A division of
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Lanham (cid:129) New York (cid:129) Toronto (cid:129) Plymouth, UK
Published by Rowman & Littlefield Education
A division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
http://www.rowmaneducation.com
Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2010 by Michael C. Zwaagstra, Rodney A. Clifton, and John C. Long
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote
passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zwaagstra, Michael C.
What’s wrong with our schools : and how we can fix them / Michael C. Zwaagstra,
Rodney A. Clifton, and John C. Long.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-60709-157-8 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-60709-158-5 (pbk. : alk.
paper) — ISBN 978-1-60709-159-2 (electronic)
1. Public schools—United States. 2. Public schools—Canada. 3. Educational change—
United States. 4. Educational change—Canada. I. Clifton, Rodney A., 1944– II. Long,
John C. III. Title.
LA217.2.Z93 2010
370.973—dc22 2010007834
(cid:2) ™
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
In your light we see light. (Psalm 36:9)
To our teachers who passed the light to us, and to our students who passed
the light to others.
To all teachers who need the light, and to all students who need enlightened
teachers.

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Whatever Happened to Common Sense? 1
PART I Some Things Are Fundamental
1 Subject Matter Matters 15
2 Tests Are Good for Students 27
3 Students Need Discipline 39
4 Inclusion Should Not Be Exclusion 51
5 Some Teachers Are Better Than Others 63
6 Some Schools Are Better Than Others 75
PART II Some Things Are Practical
7 Classrooms Should Be Teacher-Centered 93
8 Direct Instruction Is Good Teaching 103
9 Rote Learning and Practice Are Important 115
10 A Little Homework Doesn’t Hurt 125
11 Grades Should Reflect Achievement 135
12 A Pass Should Be Earned 145
vii
viii CONTENTS
PART III Some Things Are Distracting
13 Teachers’ Unions Don’t Always Put Students First 157
14 There Is Too Much “Edu-Babble” 167
Conclusion: Using Common Sense to Obtain Better Schools 179
About the Authors 189
Acknowledgments
The American writer William Zinsser truthfully claims that the craft of
writing and doing it well is hard thinking and careful rewriting. We agree,
and we need to thank a number of critical readers who have helped us
with our thinking, writing, and rewriting. First, we wish to thank two of
our academic colleagues, now retired, for their challenging and insightful
criticisms and helpful suggestions. Mark Holmes and Michael J. B. Jackson
are two of the best colleagues any group of authors could possibly have.
They were tough-minded but relentlessly constructive, generous with their
time and talents, giving us many suggestions that we know improved the
book. We benefited immeasurably from their knowledge of the educational
literature and the administration of schools; but especially we benefited
from their common sense. Michael J. B. Jackson read two drafts of the
manuscript, and we are very grateful for his insights and criticisms on both
occasions.
We also had a group of parents, teachers, and administrators, who have
dealt with many of the issues in the book, read a penultimate draft of the
manuscript. These colleagues provided both corrections and suggestions.
To Edwin Buettner, Jerome Cranston, Malkin Dare, Simone Kirwan, Lyle
Lorenz, Chantel McIntyre, Dave Poersch, Laura Reimer, Robert Renaud, and
Dorothy Young we thank you for your assistance and advice. You have helped
us write a better book.
ix