9781118256626

How to put school reform initiatives back on track From one of the largest organizations of public school principals, this book exposes many misguided school reform initiatives that are negatively impacting students and educators across the country, and recommends ways to make them more effective. Veteran educator Gerald Tirozzi addresses all the hottest school reform trends including: charter schools, teacher merit pay, Race to the Top, Common Core State Standards, and more. While some reform efforts are bringing about positive change, Tirozzi argues, many make egregious promises, lack a research base, fail to address the needs of students and educators, and utilize a "smoke and mirrors" depiction of success. From NASSP, the leading association of U.S. public school administrators Offers solid, actionable ideas for getting school reform back on track Tirozzi is former Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education under President Clinton This passionate, engaging book is filled with specific recommendations as to how each of the reform initiative presented can be improved upon and can lead to more meaningful school reform.

Gerald N. Tirozzi, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized leader in education. From 1999–2011 he served as Executive Director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the preeminent organization and the national voice for secondary school leaders. Previously Tirozzi served as Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. He currently consults to school districts in the areas of strategic planning, recruitment, and enhancing school board-superintendent relationships.

About the Author vii

About NASSP ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xvii

Part One America’s Teachers: “We Are the Heroes We Have Been Waiting for”

1 To Teach or Not to Teach? How Reforms Are Killing the Profession 3

2 Alternate Certifi cation Is the Answer: But What Was the Question? 15

3 Performance Pay for Teachers: Separating Myth from Reality 37

4 Teacher Bashing: To What End? 51

5 Getting Teacher Reform Back on Track 59

Part Two Charter Schools: Helping or Hurting School Reform?

6 Charter Schools: A Dream Denied 91

7 The Equity Problem 103

8 Charter Schools: Innovative and Effective? 113

9 Getting Charter Schools Back on Track 121

Part Three International Comparisons: How They Should and Shouldn’t Drive Reform

10 “Oh, to Be in Finland!” A New Look at the Programme for International Student Assessment 133

11 A Trip Down Memory Lane 149

12 Getting International Comparisons Back on Track 157

Part Four The Federal Role in School Reform: Problems and Solutions

13 Federal School Reform Initiatives: What Happened to Local Control? 165

14 Race to the Top and School

Improvement Grants: Helping Schools or Holding Th em Hostage? 183

15 Getting the Federal Role Back on Track 195

Conclusion 231

Endnotes 235

Index 251

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Stop the School Bus : Getting Education Reform Back on Track

Stop the School Bus : Getting Education Reform Back on Track

111825662X

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

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