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Letters to a Serious Education President

Second Edition
By: Seymour B. Sarason

Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

Begin with "what and where the children are" to cultivate meaningful learning.

In this new edition of his original insightful collection, education luminary Seymour B. Sarason details how school reformers still have difficulty examining the differences between contexts of productive and unproductive learning. Originally written nearly 13 years ago, these letters challenge us to start with "what and where children are", inspiring and encouraging their natural curiosity for learning. The author discusses:

An educational agenda beginning with children
Educator preparation program reform
School downsizing
Dropping out as a response to an uncaring school culture
A critique of the No Child Left Behind Act and more

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781412926508
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2005
Page Count: 176
Publication date: December 08, 2005

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Description

"Letters to a Serious Education President provides sound advice for what it would take to provide all students in the United States with a high-quality education. There is wisdom and profound insights about how to improve public education in these letters, and of course, Sarason offers lots of common sense."
-Pedro Noguera, Professor
The Steinhardt School of Education, New York University

"Letters to a Serious Education President underscores the brilliance of Sarason's observations about what is and continues to be missing in how we conceptualize and hence implement schooling in our society. . . . Indeed, Sarason is calling for a different education--one that enlivens the curiosity and lifelong learning of all children and their teachers."
-Rhona Weinstein, Professor
University of California, Berkeley

In this new edition of his original insightful collection of letters to the first president of the 21st century, education luminary Seymour B. Sarason details how school reformers still have difficulty examining the differences between contexts of productive and unproductive learning. Originally written nearly 13 years ago, these letters are even more relevant in today's era of extreme mandates and accountability measures. It is in this context where Sarason's acute insight into why school reforms are failing that we must turn to the fundamental question of how we are teaching and supporting all students.

Sarason's seemingly simple focus emphasizes that we must start with "what and where children are," inspiring and encouraging their natural curiosity for learning. Detailed within is coverage of

An educational agenda beginning with children
The need for both repair and prevention in education
How classrooms extinguish curiosity
Educator preparation program reform
School downsizing
Dropping out as a response to an uncaring school culture
A critique of the No Child Left Behind Act, and more

Sarason's analysis and powerful letters are packed with humor, common sense, practical advice, and recommendations for reaching students in today's classrooms. They distinguish between the typical rhetoric of educational change and the necessary actions that affect present and future generations of students.

Author(s)

Seymour B. Sarason

Seymour B. Sarason is Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Yale University. During his distinguished 48-year career, he has been one of the most astute observers and incisive critics of efforts to reform our schools. Among his more than 30 published books are The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform (1990), Schooling in America: Scapegoat or Salvation (1983), and The Culture of School and the Problem of Change (2nd ed., 1982).

Table of Contents

Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction to the Second Edition

The Letters

Reviews

"Letters to a Serious Education President provides sound advice for what it would take to provide all students in the United States with a high quality education. There is wisdom and profound insights about how to improve public education in these letters, and of course, Sarason offers lots of common sense."

Pedro Noguera, Professor
The Steinhardt School of Education, New York University

"Sarason is a master of the use of cases and stories ... what comes out is his voice, emotion, commitment, and desire to make a difference."

Theodore Creighton, Executive Director, Professor
National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, Sam Houston State University

"Letters to a Serious Education President underscores the brilliance of Sarason's observations about what is and continues to be missing in how we conceptualize and hence implement schooling in our society... Indeed, Sarason is calling for a different education - one that enlives the curiosity and lifelong learning of all children and their teachers."

Rhona Weinstein, Professor
University of California, Berkeley

"A brilliantly written treatise ... Professor Sarason provides a most insightful glimpse into the inner workings of the political/public ploicy process, skillfully reflecting the quiet musings of a master observer."

Patrick H. DeLeon, Former Assistant to U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye

"Seymour Sarason has graced us with a jewel of a book that includes the central themes in his lifetime of teaching and writing."

Ann Lieberman, Professor and Co-Director
National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools,and Teaching, Teachers College, Columbia University

"The timing of this book could not be more fortuitous; the challenge could not be better framed; and the need to learn how to educate our children - all children - could not be more urgent. Policymakers, take heed."

Keith Geiger, Former President
National Education Association

"After decades of thought and study, Seymour Sarason has uncovered the most critical barriers to meaningful educational reform. In this book, he uses a novel device - letters to the President of the United States - to describe what it takes for reform to make a real difference where it matters most - in the typical classroom. Let's hope that not only the current President will read this book, but also all who are affected by and care about our schools."

Cary Cherniss, Professor of Applied Psychology
Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ

"This is a book that makes you want to think, compels you to examine the questions raised, and forces you to look around and take stock and decide if what we have is what you want."

PsycCRITIQUES, September 2006

Other Titles in: Leadership | Reflective Practice | School Change, Reform, & Restructuring

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