9780312148232

Dumbing Down Our Kids is a searing indictment of America's secondary schools-one that every parent and teacher should read.Dumbing Down Our Kids offers a full-scale investigation of the new educational fad, sometimes called "Outcome Based Education" -the latest in a long series of "reforms" that has eroded our schools.-Why our kids rank to, or at the bottom of international tests in math and science-Why "self-esteem" has supplanted grades and genuine achievements-How the educational establishment lowers standards and quality in our schools-while continuing to raise their budgets and our school taxes-The dumbing down of the curriculum so everyone can pass-but no one excel-How parents, students, and teachers can evaluate schools and restore quality learning

Charles Sykes is the author of three previous books, ProfScam, The Hollow Men, and A Nation of Victims. A journalist who specializes in educational issues, he has written for and is frequently quoted by newspapers including The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. He has appeared on The Today Show, The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder, and NPR's Talk of the Nation to discuss schooling. A senior fellow at the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Sykes lives with his wife and three children in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Preface

ix

SECTION 1: Dumbing Down America's Kids

1

(36)

Scenes from the Front: ``Mere Facts''

3

(2)

Andrea's Complaint

5

(3)

Dumbing Down Our Kids

8

(8)

Losing the Race

16

(12)

Scenes from the Front: An Endangered Species I

25

(3)

The American Way of Denial

28

(9)

SECTION 2: Dumbing Down Our Schools

37

(118)

Scenes from the Front: How Did Einstein Feel?

39

(2)

Feelings

41

(7)

The Religion of Self-Esteem

48

(16)

Scenes from the Front: The Mission Statement

61

(3)

The Attack on Excellence

64

(19)

Scenes from the Front: Leaders and Followers

81

(2)

The Making of an Educationist

83

(9)

Scenes from the Front: ``I Wanted to Be a Teacher''

90

(2)

The New Illiteracy

92

(22)

Why Johnny Can't Add, Subtract, Multiply, or Divide (But Still Feels Good about Himself)

114

(13)

Dumbing Down the Texts

127

(16)

Scenes from the Front: The Political Classroom I

140

(3)

Dumbing Down the Tests

143

(12)

Scenes from the Front: The Political Classroom II

152

(3)

SECTION 3: Moral Dumbing Down

155

(40)

The ``Values'' Wasteland

157

(17)

Telling on Mommy and Daddy

174

(9)

Doctor, Doctor

183

(12)

SECTION 4: The Attack on Learning

195

(30)

The Attack on Learning

197

(18)

Scenes from the Front: 1928

210

(2)

1958

212

(3)

Educational Wastelands

215

(10)

Scenes from the Front: Mold

223

(2)

SECTION 5: Reform and Counterreform

225

(73)

The Blob

227

(14)

Outcome Based Education

241

(20)

Goals 2000 and the Counterreformation

261

(10)

Scenes from the Front: An Endangered Species II

268

(3)

Schools That Work

271

(9)

Scenes from the Front: Barclay

275

(5)

The Coming Educational Revolution

280

(18)

Notes

298

(29)

Index

327

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Dumbing Down Our Kids Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, or Add

Dumbing Down Our Kids Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, or Add

0312148232

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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