twamu's review
2.0
This book has a lot of interesting ideas. Sadly, most of the good ones are not new (later start time, increasing teachers' salaries, more school days, etc.) and most of the new ones are not good (cutting special ed, kicking struggling students out without attempting to determine factors behind their behavior, forcing immigrant families to assimilate, etc.).
Overall, Crosby seems to have little regard for experiences that differ from his own. He is unconcerned with non-gifted children who do not come from academic environments and is downright cruel to special needs students. Furthermore, he comes across as hypocritical, often contradicting his own ideas from chapters earlier when the results no longer suit him. For example, in one early chapter he makes a valid point about the malicious behavior of teachers when students miss class for a field trip. He states that education does not always have to occur in a school classroom. However, later he criticizes Armenian parents who allow their children to miss school in remembrance of the Armenian genocide. With no statistics or evidence to back himself up, Crosby decides that these students are not going to church or engaging in other cultural activities as they claim, but are in fact using the anniversary of a genocide to slack off. He even decries the assemblies and speakers regarding this event that rob him of more valuable education time. In another chapter, he criticizes students who miss school to attend political protests. Wouldn't an educator agree that missing a day here or there to attend history in the making is acceptable? What happened to a full education that includes the world and not just school? The difference is that Crosby is no longer in control and is no longer the one benefiting.
In general, some parts read as a manifesto of a well-spoken and experienced, but unfortunately unemphatic, teacher, and others read as the ramblings of a bitter old man who does not feel the need to cite his sources. There are many points about American education that some readers may find interesting. (If you want to get mad at the system, I recommend the parts on standardized testing. If you want to get mad at Brian Crosby, I recommend the chapter on special education.)
Overall, Crosby seems to have little regard for experiences that differ from his own. He is unconcerned with non-gifted children who do not come from academic environments and is downright cruel to special needs students. Furthermore, he comes across as hypocritical, often contradicting his own ideas from chapters earlier when the results no longer suit him. For example, in one early chapter he makes a valid point about the malicious behavior of teachers when students miss class for a field trip. He states that education does not always have to occur in a school classroom. However, later he criticizes Armenian parents who allow their children to miss school in remembrance of the Armenian genocide. With no statistics or evidence to back himself up, Crosby decides that these students are not going to church or engaging in other cultural activities as they claim, but are in fact using the anniversary of a genocide to slack off. He even decries the assemblies and speakers regarding this event that rob him of more valuable education time. In another chapter, he criticizes students who miss school to attend political protests. Wouldn't an educator agree that missing a day here or there to attend history in the making is acceptable? What happened to a full education that includes the world and not just school? The difference is that Crosby is no longer in control and is no longer the one benefiting.
In general, some parts read as a manifesto of a well-spoken and experienced, but unfortunately unemphatic, teacher, and others read as the ramblings of a bitter old man who does not feel the need to cite his sources. There are many points about American education that some readers may find interesting. (If you want to get mad at the system, I recommend the parts on standardized testing. If you want to get mad at Brian Crosby, I recommend the chapter on special education.)
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