In Schools We Trust
Encyclopedia
In Schools We Trust is a book written by Deborah Meier
and published on August 1, 2002. Meier uses her experiences as a small public school principal to explain her vision of the beset way to organize the American school system. She uses her struggles in creating two new schools in the North East region. It is not a narrative of a specific school but rather she uses her experiences to ground her thoughts on how to improve the present school system. The book is broken down into three sections that talk about specific ideas she has about schools.
As the book moves along she moves into a discussion of the history of standardized tests and her experiences of it through her own teaching. She explains that because of the high anxiety that comes with state standardized testing and college admissions tests certain ethnic communities are put at a large disadvantage. She states that lower income students are set up to fail and thus closes their window of opportunity. She argues that if the test culture continues, tests will become the only factor of success and inspiration will become vastly undervalued. The final section is her responding to the criticisms of her ideas and restating her main points. She states that each student is different and each community is different and argues that national and state politicians are not the correct people to be setting curriculum. She continues with the idea that even large public schools can be broken down into many small communities, it will improve overall performance. She also hopes that standardized test are given less weight in the future as, she believes, that they do not give a complete picture of each student. She closes with an answer to her main question "For me the most important answer to the question "why save public education? is this: It is in schools that we learn the art of living together as citizens, and it is in public schools that we are obliged to defend the idea of a public, not only a private, interest."
is "a legendary school founder and reformer" and goes on to say that this book is "a well-written book that acknowledges the trouble and turmoil our public schools are facing with standardized testing" She continues to praise the book and even says "If other educators read this beautifully written book with an open mind, and put her concepts into practice, it can possibly revolutionize the current state of our public school system."
Also, a review written by Milly Marmur sees the book making the impact that the previous reviewers did as well. She believes it has ideas that are useful to the wider educational community and maybe even be able to influence the political community that it needs in order to create the change she hopes for. Nicholas Meier also reviewed this book in April 2005 and was also impressed with the issues that were discussed. Overall he feels that "Meier's writing style is engaging" and states that throughout the book she presents the deepest and most profound questions that the American school system faces and presents reasonable solutions that have been shown to succeed. He also links to other authors that have had praise for this book such as Jonathan Kozol
, Mike Rose (educator)
, Publishers Weekly
and Ted Sizer
.
Deborah Meier
Deborah Meier is an American educator often considered the founder of the modern small schools movement. After spending several years as a kindergarten teacher in Chicago, Philadelphia and then New York City, in 1974, Meier became the founder and director of the alternative Central Park East...
and published on August 1, 2002. Meier uses her experiences as a small public school principal to explain her vision of the beset way to organize the American school system. She uses her struggles in creating two new schools in the North East region. It is not a narrative of a specific school but rather she uses her experiences to ground her thoughts on how to improve the present school system. The book is broken down into three sections that talk about specific ideas she has about schools.
Summary
In the first section, she argues that the main failing of today's public schools is that students do not develop relationships with their teachers. She says that because the schools system encourages a separation between a students' school life and their outside life, teachers are missing out on teaching to students' interests. Her main thesis in this section is that teachers need to focus on teaching to students' interests to help engage them in learning which, in turn, will lower drop out rates. Next, she emphasizes the need for parents to be present in their children's schools. She argues that because parents are rarely invited into schools it makes it difficult to place their trust in the school. Her hope is that if teachers and parents can join together in teaching their child that it will be much more effective. She also recognizes the inherent flaws in the educational system saying "We are-in short-perhaps the only civilization in history that organizes its youth so that the nearer they get to being adults the less and less likely they are to know any adults" Through her schools she has tried to reverse this trend and allow older students to have more personal relationships with adults and has found that these students are more likely to succeed.As the book moves along she moves into a discussion of the history of standardized tests and her experiences of it through her own teaching. She explains that because of the high anxiety that comes with state standardized testing and college admissions tests certain ethnic communities are put at a large disadvantage. She states that lower income students are set up to fail and thus closes their window of opportunity. She argues that if the test culture continues, tests will become the only factor of success and inspiration will become vastly undervalued. The final section is her responding to the criticisms of her ideas and restating her main points. She states that each student is different and each community is different and argues that national and state politicians are not the correct people to be setting curriculum. She continues with the idea that even large public schools can be broken down into many small communities, it will improve overall performance. She also hopes that standardized test are given less weight in the future as, she believes, that they do not give a complete picture of each student. She closes with an answer to her main question "For me the most important answer to the question "why save public education? is this: It is in schools that we learn the art of living together as citizens, and it is in public schools that we are obliged to defend the idea of a public, not only a private, interest."
Reception
This book has been celebrated in the Education community since its release in 2002. Many reviews have been published evaluating the issues that were raised in the book. In Bonnie Brown's review states that the Deborah MeierDeborah Meier
Deborah Meier is an American educator often considered the founder of the modern small schools movement. After spending several years as a kindergarten teacher in Chicago, Philadelphia and then New York City, in 1974, Meier became the founder and director of the alternative Central Park East...
is "a legendary school founder and reformer" and goes on to say that this book is "a well-written book that acknowledges the trouble and turmoil our public schools are facing with standardized testing" She continues to praise the book and even says "If other educators read this beautifully written book with an open mind, and put her concepts into practice, it can possibly revolutionize the current state of our public school system."
Also, a review written by Milly Marmur sees the book making the impact that the previous reviewers did as well. She believes it has ideas that are useful to the wider educational community and maybe even be able to influence the political community that it needs in order to create the change she hopes for. Nicholas Meier also reviewed this book in April 2005 and was also impressed with the issues that were discussed. Overall he feels that "Meier's writing style is engaging" and states that throughout the book she presents the deepest and most profound questions that the American school system faces and presents reasonable solutions that have been shown to succeed. He also links to other authors that have had praise for this book such as Jonathan Kozol
Jonathan Kozol
Jonathan Kozol is a non-fiction writer, educator, and activist, best known for his books on public education in the United States. Kozol graduated from Noble and Greenough School in 1954, and Harvard University summa cum laude in 1958 with a degree in English Literature. He was awarded a Rhodes...
, Mike Rose (educator)
Mike Rose (educator)
Mike Rose is a nationally recognized American education scholar and is noted for his significant contribution to the study of literacy and for his insights into the struggles of working-class America...
, Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
and Ted Sizer
Ted Sizer
Theodore Ryland Sizer was a leader of educational reform in the United States, the founder of the Essential school movement and was known for challenging longstanding practices and assumptions about the functioning of American secondary schools...
.