Reviews for Learning desire

The average rating for Learning desire based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-02-07 00:00:00 Todd Marion Tyack and Hansot observe that the public school system is the closest we have to a national church. Public schools are where we pass our world view to the next generation. And interestingly faith in public schools and churches/religious organizations has declined at a similar rate from 1975 to 2015 according to the Gallup polls. Indeed, the public school founders of 1820-1890 saw themselves as missionaries. They expected that teaching children to be literate, temperate, hard-working and frugal would bring about the kingdom of God (within 100 years, predicted by senator Henry Blair in 1882.) Fast forward 190 pages and 62 years to 1954, Brown v the Board of Education. Groups that had been systematically oppressed by society were now protesting for changes in education. The result was a fragmented system where no one knew who was in charge: the courts? protestors with their competing demands? educators with their competing philosophies? the lawmakers and their calls for accountability (ie. regulations and "minimum competency tests")? The book came out in 1982 and their descriptions of the present sound a lot like my present almost 35 years later. Under Lyndon B. Johnson federal government spending on public education in 1968 was 10x what it was in 1958. The early 1980s saw a resurgence of privatism, newborn faith in the market system, and a desire to cut back on public services. "Voucher advocates" are trying to get proposals put on ballots for "parental choice of schools." To the problem of fragmentation where no one knows who's in charge, the authors recommend the state and federal government target funds and attention to the underserved groups, but let the local schools decide the best way to achieve the results. As for restoring faith in public schools, they recommend "the reformation of a community of commitment to public education" where we remind folks that everyone, ultimately, has a stake in education, where citizens ask themselves what we need to bring about "a more just and effective society"? Then, school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, students, parents, church leaders, business people and other citizens work together to achieve our goals. This is the first book I've read on public education. It was a good place to start because it gave the history, especially the connections to religion. It's pretty academic. I don't know anyone who would actually want to read it, except some of my die hard public education loving friends. An academician would probably read something newer. But I liked it. It inspired me as a public education promoter and gave me new idols in Catharine Beecher, Leonard Covello and Marcus Foster.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-03-07 00:00:00 Ken Helm Very up-to-date and informative even though it was published in 2009. Very much enjoyed. Easy to read- as far as textbooks go.