Education

Books: New In Print

September 18, 1985 11 min read
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The following excerpts provide a sampling of current books of particular interest.

On Judge Garrity and Boston

“The Garrity-Sullivan skirmishes revealed the political nub of the case. Sullivan [James J. Sullivan, the lawyer for the Boston School Committee] was charging Garrity with being a traitor to his own kind, an apostate who had forgotten that an Irishman’s ultimate loyalty was to his family, his clan, his turf, his blood. Garrity was accusing Sullivan’s clients of being false to a still higher value, to the requirement of their faith that they love and respect all God’s children. Arthur Garrity was harder on his fellow Irish Catholics than any Yankee judge would likely have been in such circumstances. To him, racial hatred and prejudice were moral transgressions as great as drug peddling and pornography. From the bench he lashed out at ‘the frenetic, hate-mongering fringe in South Boston.’ He would not countenance that kind of conduct, and if people thought he was harsh, so be it. The dictates of their Church required a certain standard of behavior and he was going to hold them to it.”

From Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families, an account of school desegregation in Boston, by J. Anthony Lukas (Alfred A. Knopf, 201 East 50th St., New York, N.Y. 10022; 659 pp., $19.95 cloth).

A Metaphor for High School

“In this consumer-oriented institution [the ‘shopping-mall high school’], students and teachers alike say with considerable truth that everything is there, everybody is there, and there is something for everyone. But it is there only if you want it and will go get it. You can get as much or as little as you choose. If you choose to buy little, the problem is yours, not the mall’s. The mall is neutral about the kinds of purchases you make and about how informed a consumer you are. The mall wants your regular presence and your good behavior, and for that alone it will sell you a diploma.”

From The Shopping Mall High School: Winners and Losers in the Educational Marketplace, the second report from A Study of High Schools, by Arthur G. Powell, Eleanor Farrar, and David K. Cohen (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2 Park St., Boston, Mass. 02108; 360 pp., $16.95 cloth).

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

“Few people expect teachers to be like Mr. Chips--ever available, always inspiring, committed, wise, personable, and humane. Yet, there is a wistfulness about our image of teachers, a wish that they be like Mr. Chips or, in the female version, the dedicated woman of an earlier generation who saw her teaching as missionary work, who received small economic benefit from it, and who spoke to her students with authority. The image is of the all-powerful teacher, relatively untouched and untainted by organizational and political constraints. She taught a curriculum that did not bend to the whims of political activism. She taught history and literature--not black or women’s history or popular culture.”

From An Education of Value: The Purposes and Practices of Schools, by Marvin Lazerson, Judith Block McLaughlin, Bruce McPherson, and Stephen K. Bailey (Cambridge University Press, 32 East 57th St., New York, N.Y. 10022; 139 pp., $24.95 cloth).

‘Devoid of Content’

“Empty credentials are all that any school or department of education in any university in the United States gives to its graduates. The education field is devoid of intellectual content, has no body of knowledge of its own, and acts as if bodies of knowledge do not exist in other university departments.”

From Education’s Smoking Gun: How Teachers Colleges Have Destroyed Education in America, by Reginald G. Damerell (Freundlich Books, 80 Madison Ave., Penthouse B, New York, N.Y. 10016; 312 pp., $17.95 cloth).

Test-Score ‘Rhetoric’

“As the test scores go up in the years to come, the rhetoric of self-congratulation on the part of those who use those scores to measure successful school reform will increase. That is, the rhetoric will be adjusted to the test scores, not to the fundamental improvement of schooling. We are raising serious questions about such a connection with test scores and seek, instead, more substantive reconstruction and reform.”

From “Improving Instead of Testing Our Schools,” by Kenneth A. Sirotnik and John I. Goodlad, in Education on Trial: Strategies for the Future, edited by William J. Johnston (ics Press, Institute for Contemporary Studies, 785 Market St., San Francisco, Calif. 94103; 352 pp., $29.95 cloth, $12.95 paper).

‘A Supreme Confidence’

“We should know by now that even when young people end up completely enthralled by a facet of the mature culture, it isn’t unusual for them to have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to the initial encounter. The brashness of youth is hardly an infallible guide to the treasure trove of ethical and aesthetic insights available in our heritage. One of the prerequisites of an effective education system is a supreme confidence that--even when the going gets tough--the message being delivered merits the students’ time and will richly reward their honest effort.”

From Last Chance for Our Children: How You Can Help Save Our Schools, by Bill Honig (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Mass. 01867; 240 pp., $12.95 cloth).

Other Books of Note

Challenges to the Humanities, edited by Chester E. Finn Jr., Diane Ravitch, and P. Holley Roberts (Holmes and Meier Publishers Inc., 30 Irving Pl., New York, N.Y. 10003; 223 pp., $29.50 cloth, $16.50 paper). Essays on the state of high-school humanities education; a follow-up to Against Mediocrity.

Education Under Siege: The Conservative, Liberal, and Radical Debate Over Schooling, by Stanley Aronowitz and Henry A. Giroux (Bergin & Garvey Publishers Inc., 670 Amherst Rd., South Hadley, Mass. 01075; 233 pp., $27.95 cloth, $12.95 paper). Explores “some of the elements of an alternative vision for schools.”

The Great School Debate: Which Way for American Education?, edited by Beatrice and Ronald Gross (A Touchstone Book, Simon & Schuster Inc., 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020; 544 pp., $9.95 paper, $7.95 for Education Week subscribers who address their orders to Lorie Weisel, Sales, and enclose a clearly printed return address that can be used as a mailing label). A “source book” of more than 60 recent articles, essays, and reports on school reform.

Jane Addams on Education, edited, with an introduction and notes, by Ellen Condliffe Lagemann (Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Ave., New York, N.Y. 10027; 225 pp., $16 cloth, $9 paper). Thoughts on education as an instrument of social reform.

One School at a Time: School-Based Management--A Process for Change, by Carl L. Marburger (National Committee for Citizens in Education, 410 Wilde Lake Village Green, Columbia, Md. 21044; 82 pp., $12.95 cloth, $6.95 paper, plus $1 handling charge). A plan for decentralized school decisionmaking, from a former New Jersey education commissioner.

Politicians, Judges, and City Schools: Reforming School Finance in New York, by Joel S. Berke, Margaret E. Goertz, and Richard J. Coley (Russell Sage Foundation, 112 East 64th St., New York, N.Y. 10021; 279 pp., $25 cloth). A case study of the policy issues raised by the school-finance reform efforts of the 1970’s.

The Politics of School Reform, 1870-1940, by Paul E. Peterson (University of Chicago Press, 5801 South Ellis Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60637; 241 pp., $25 cloth, $11.95 paper). Challenges “revisionist” interpretations of educational history, with a focus on school politics in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco.

The Power of Positive Students, by William Mitchell, with Charles Paul Conn (William Morrow and Company, 105 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016; 191 pp., $12.95 cloth). Promotes a program for increasing school effectiveness by teaching students “positive self-esteem.”

Schools of the Future: How American Business and Education Can Cooperate to Save Our Schools, by Marvin J. Cetron, with Barbara Soriano and Margaret E. Gayle (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020; 167 pp., $12.95 cloth). In a study for the American Association of School Administrators, a “scientific forecaster” looks at trends affecting the schools.

What the Children Taught Me, by Jack Greenstein (University of Chicago Press, 5801 South Ellis Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60637; 248 pp., $8.95 paper). The humorous memoirs of a veteran Chicago principal and teacher.

Classroom Methods

Artistry in Teaching, by Louis J. Rubin (Random House Inc., 201 East 50th St., New York, N.Y. 10022; 182 pp., $7.95 paper). Argues that “great teachers fashion a personal style around their educational convictions.”

Bilingual and esl Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts, by Carlos J. Ovando and Virginia P. Collier (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020; 354 pp., $19.95 cloth). Guide to K-12 bilingual instruction and the teaching of English as a second language; includes coverage of policy issues of interest to administrators.

Breaking Ground: Teachers Relate Reading and Writing in the Elementary School, edited by Jane Hansen, Thomas Newkirk, and Donald Graves (Heinemann Educational Books Inc., 70 Court St., Portsmouth, N.H. 03801; 211pp., $12 paper). Twenty contributors’ views on combining reading and writing education.

The Successful Classroom: Management Strategies for Regular and Special Education Teachers, by Doris Pronin Fromberg and Maryanne Driscoll (Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Ave., New York, N.Y. 10027; 209 pp., $22.95 cloth, $15.95 paper). Proposals for maintaining discipline while helping students learn.

Research and Monographs

Annual Summary of Investigations Relating to Reading: July 1, 1983, to June 30, 1984, by Sam Weintraub et al. (International Reading Association, P.O. Box 8139, Newark, Del. 19714; 348 pp., $23 paper, $15 for ira members). Abstracts of recent research in the field.

Education in School and Nonschool Settings, part 1 of the 84th yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, edited by Mario D. Fantini and Robert L. Sinclair (University of Chicago Press, 5801 South Ellis Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60637; 288 pp., $20 cloth). Articles suggesting “directions for clearing the present confusion” about the related responsibilities of schools and other institutions.

Indicators of Precollege Education in Science and Mathematics: A Preliminary Review, findings of a committee of the National Research Council, edited by Senta A. Raizen and Lyle V. Jones (National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20418; 200 pp., $16.50 paper). Assessing efforts to improve elementary- and secondary-school science and mathematics.

Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing, part 2 of the 84th yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, edited by Elliot Eisner (University of Chicago Press, 5801 South Ellis Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60637; 304 pp., $20 cloth). Various conceptions of intelligence and knowledge--and their implications for education.

Reference Works

Arts in Schools: State by State, by the Music Educators National Conference and Daniel V. Steinel (menc, Publication Sales, 1902 Association Dr., Reston, Va. 22091; 103 pp., $16.25 paper, $12.95 for menc members). A nationwide survey of K-12 curricula in music, art, theater, and dance.

Black and White Children in America: Key Facts, by the Children’s Defense Fund (cdf, 122 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001; 142pp., $9.95 paper, plus $1.50 handling charge). Describes “the overall and comparative status of black and white children and the continuing inequality that plagues millions of black children.”

The College Cost Book, 1985-86, by the College Scholarship Service (College Entrance Examination Board, Publications Orders, Box 886, New York, N.Y. 10101; 216 pp., $10.95 paper). A guide to financial planning and aid for college-bound students.

The Handbook of Private Schools, 1985, by the staff of Porter Sargent Publishers Inc. (Porter Sargent, 11 Beacon St., Boston, Mass. 02108; 1,488 pp., $37 cloth). Current data on 1,800 independent elementary and secondary boarding and day schools.

Other Resources

Conversations: 20 Years in American Education, by Joslyn Green (Education Commission of the States, Distribution Center, 1860 Lincoln St., Suite 300, Denver, Colo. 80295; 47 pp., $12 paper). Interviews with Alonzo Crim, Russell Edgerton, Harold Howe 2nd, Francis Keppel, Clark Kerr, Richard Lyman, Diane Ravitch, Terry Sanford, Martin Trow, Ralph Tyler, and Willard Wirtz.

Leadership for Tomorrow, six “audiodocumentaries” produced by John Merrow and the Institute for Educational Leadership (iel, 1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 310, Washington, D.C. 20036; package of six 30-minute audio cassettes, $35 plus $1 for postage and handling). Richard Byrne, Denis Doyle, Eileen Gardner, Frank Newman, Michael O’Keefe, and others discuss such topics as “Situational Leadership” and “Liberal Goals, Conservative Means.” Narrated by Harold Howe 2nd.

Raising Standards in Schools: Problems and Solutions, by Patricia Pine, produced by Education News Service for the American Association of School Administrators (aasa, 1801 North Moore St., Arlington, Va. 22209; 87 pp., $13.95 paper, plus $2.50 handling charge). A nationwide survey of superintendents reveals “overwhelming” support for “tougher standards” in education.--gc

A version of this article appeared in the September 18, 1985 edition of Education Week as Books: New In Print

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