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alfajirikali's review
4.0
Provides overview of education theories, and summary points on how to evaluate school systems with a generous footnote section and index.
grlfruit's review
4.0
I found this book super helpful. It cut through the noise and helped me figure out what was important to me when picking a new school for my soon to be kindergartner
vlbouchard's review
3.0
Interesting read on education research. I would have liked more ideas on questions to ask administrators to separate a good school from an average school.
northstar's review
3.0
This is a 3.5. I might have rounded up if it were not for some of the awkward writing and horrendous copyediting, including a reference to "pubic school." Really. Some of these books look like rough drafts that I would have been ashamed to show an editor.
Tyre provides parents with a few tools to help them recognize quality schools. She breaks down test scores and explains what we can and cannot glean from them and I especially appreciated her analysis of reading and math curricula. This is a quick read and I learned some useful facts, as well as some questions to ask principals and teachers.
She stresses the importance of good teachers but the analysis felt thin. Yes, teachers need more training and principals need to take an active role when a teacher is not succeeding, but we also need to look at what we are asking teachers to do: babysit, feed, discipline, etc. They are teachers, not social workers.
I would have appreciated a little more information about "good schools" for children who excel academically.
Parents of little-littles--this book has a useful chapter on choosing a preschool.
Tyre provides parents with a few tools to help them recognize quality schools. She breaks down test scores and explains what we can and cannot glean from them and I especially appreciated her analysis of reading and math curricula. This is a quick read and I learned some useful facts, as well as some questions to ask principals and teachers.
She stresses the importance of good teachers but the analysis felt thin. Yes, teachers need more training and principals need to take an active role when a teacher is not succeeding, but we also need to look at what we are asking teachers to do: babysit, feed, discipline, etc. They are teachers, not social workers.
I would have appreciated a little more information about "good schools" for children who excel academically.
Parents of little-littles--this book has a useful chapter on choosing a preschool.
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