Educators Books

This book opens a door to a world I never knew, or if I did, I chose to ignore it, hoping that it would go away. I will never look at inner-city children, the same way I did before. Their loss of innocence is an American tragedy...Oglesby actions as a teacher, as a humanitarian and a courageous woman, is a triumph over a seemingly hopless situation.
I am most interested in reading more books by this author.
Jorge Nuñez.

It should be required reading for all teachers and those who are planning to be teachers, social workers, law enforcement, and anyone who works with inner city kids. Margot Gillin, Waukegan, IL

Fun! I couldn't put it down. This book gave me a greater respect and understanding for children who live in the ghettos and for teachers who work with them. Karen Helman, Charlotte, N.C.

I found this book to be fascinating and informative. Its strength lies not in the fact that it pushes an agenda effectively, but that it doesn't have an agenda. Most books of this genre are written to try to convince the reader of their opinion, but this one isn't. Lightly edited, you get to see the way that things actually are instead of the way that an author WANTS you to see it. There are things here to encourage and infuriate both ends of the political spectrum. This actually makes sense, as both sides have valid points but carry them too far. It is often difficult (make that nearly impossible) to convey life in the projects in a way that enables people who are from a more normal environment to understand it. This book does so in a way that I have never seen before.

Teachah don't know nothin...and neither do we that grew up in a sheltered system until it's cracked open. This book cracked open a lot of beliefs that were rumored to have been true, but were too ugly to face. Dee Oglesby faced them squarely as a naive outsider-then as an insider that slowly gained the confidences of ostracized and oppressed individuals. And it's real. The freshness is amazing. The language is frank, sometimes jolting like a shot of harsh reality. The writing at first appeared simplistic, but in short it came out to be simple truth-as it really occurred. This is not about artifice, it's about actuality. And that's incredible. She weaved her way into their hearts and minds with time and honesty. She shed light in the dim arena of inner-city schooling and created bright spots in blemished futures. In short, she managed to 'educate' students despite an institution that rewards grades above learning. It's a good read. And a great education!

Just what the teacher ordered. There were none in all of San Diego so I thought let me check with Amazon...you have not let me down. My grandaughter got one and I ordered an extra one for one of the poor parents that could not find it anywhere! Thank you!

My kids have used this series for years! Teachers sometimes omit part C, which asks questions such as this: Which of the following can "abate"? (a) anger, (b) high winds, (c) silence, (d) applause. Answers to these are often open to debate, and some teachers do not like those gray areas. For the Gifted/Talented program in our area, they start with Book 2 in third grade. Homeschoolers should like these! (We are in public school but always get a "home" copy for the days when the school copy doesn't make it into the backpack.)

Really helped in vocabulary, but it was so biased! The most important topics of discussion for the book was women's rights and saving the planet.

This really helped me with my overall vocabulary. It also turned out to be fun, and some of the questions make you want to think really hard. I recommend it strongly for one who is studying for SAT exams etc...Although learning may not be fun for some of you, I think this might brighten your day! But honestly, every one of these Wordly Wise books have very important words that a worth while learning.
Book 1~ 3rd Grade & above
Book 2~ 4th grade & above
Book 3~ 5th grade & above
Book 4~ 6th grade-8th grade
Check it out!

This is an excellent series which I've used for all my homeschooling children. No matter what their ability was at the time, by the end of each book they were able to use words effectively and decode the meaning of other words they hadn't learned through knowing what other similar words meant.

One note of caution: Book 4 is NOT necessarily for fourth graders. The EPS website lists this as a 7th grade book. Most of the sellers on Amazon have listed the numbered books as if this was the recommended grade level for each. Check the original website and look at the sample pages before ordering.

This book should be required reading for anyone entering the teaching profession. Not only will it facilitate an understanding of curriculum, teaching processes, and biases, but it will open our eyes {and hearts} a little bit wider to how we can, and should reach students. This book will also, hopefully, help us all to see how we accept ourselves and present our authentic selves, is more important than how others view us. It is a total learning experience along with the author.

I could not put down this deeply touching memoir of the struggles a young woman must go through to be able to teach. The conservative community in which she works judges her not on the quality of her teaching ability, but on her looks and mannerisms, things students always overlook if the teacher is any good at all. Her wonderful friends help her get through the year. This book is full of wisdom.

This book is important for everyone to read -- whether or not they are sympathetic to the homosexual's struggle. It is a poignent story about a human being and her dreams. There are stories here that everyone can relate to. I have laughed and cried while reading this, because Laurie relates eloquently the pain of relationships that don't work out and the humor that goes on in a classroom full of wise-cracking adolescents. Her writing draws pictures of small California towns and the variety of people that populate them. A great book by a very strong and intelligent lady.

This book gave me a sense of shared intimacy. It seems that Laurie Stapleton; the fun, intelligent, engaging teacher, could easily be a separate person from Laurie Stapleton; the witty, deep-thinking, and sometimes tormented lesbian. The beauty is that the two combined are important components of the whole, special human being, and as I watched her learn self-respect and self-acceptance, I saw her grow wise before my eyes. Against The White Sky stimulates perspective and empathy, and it offers true inspiration for not only teachers, but for students, as well. It kindles hope for not only gays and lesbians, but for women, minorities, and every educator who faces the intrinsic challenges of the profession. I wish the author continued strength and courage.

Against A White Sky is Laurie Stapleton's account of her difficulties fitting into the public school system as a gay person trying (though not wanting) to remain in the closet. The three years covered in this book, her year in a Central California university teaching credential program and her first two years as a high school English teacher and coach in a small, agricultural town, show Stapleton attempting to keep a secret that seems to seep out of her pores. As a lesbian with some characteristics society deems "masculine," she endures stares ("Is that a he or a she"), name-calling by community members and students, and even an attempt to strip her of her job - a job she does well - because of "suspicions" about her sexual preference. Stapleton is also frank about some of the little discomforts, most notably the fit and look of "feminized" outfits for someone with her height and frame, the utter silliness of having to pretend to be looking for an attractive man while out on the town with a friend who doesn't know she's gay, and the effort it takes to remember the made-up guy's name she came up with for her female lover.

The beauty of the book lies in Stapleton's honesty about her pain, her willingness to be specific about its causes, and the love she has for teaching and her students. As she chronicles her classroom and coaching experiences, it becomes clear that her sexual preference transcends - or, actually, is simply irrelevant to - the devotion she brings to the individuals under her care. As an added bonus for those who live in California's Central Valley are the eloquently-described settings.

In fact, setting is what Against A White Sky is all about: Stapleton's journey to find her place. As much as there is to learn from people like Laurie who, closeted or not, are working right next to hetereosexuals, the book has much to say about loneliness, fitting in, and most importantly, finding ways to like oneself. Laurie Stapleton's journey was not just one of how to overcome difficulty from without but also of how to find "home" within herself to take with her wherever she goes.

Im planning to go into Aviation Management and this is a great book that goes over everything that happens at an airport and how to run an airport!! Great book!!

Don't be afraid of the great amount of number data. It's all understandable

This book is an excellent text to all airport related personnels. I found it's particularly useful to people working in airport and/or aviation management who want to gain more in-depth understanding to all areas of airport operations. This book can also serve as in-house classroom training text for airline personnel. A highly recommended one!

This is a great source of information and very clear definitions of many of the key issues relating to Airport Management and Operations. Although written primarily from the European and Asia Pacific Airport and Airline perspectives, the author has worked very hard to include North American issues and examples. As The Airport Industry moves continually towards privatization, these differences will move to the background and be less obvious; and less important. This is a great starting place for the researcher or the occasional affectionato

This book provides a thorough analysis in all facets of airport operations and provides the reader with a logistical insight that is unmatched. While the book provides a great overview, it lacks information particularly on air cargo development and facility planning at airports. While the growth in air cargo traffic significantly outpaces passenger growth, air cargo development issues at airports become more significant. Air cargo development issues must be addressed by airport authorities. This book only makes scant reference to this. However, "Airport Operations" is a valuable book to all airport authorities, consultants and transport researchers. No doubt, a very timely piece of information.

Reading Bobby's Story aloud in a classroom or as a group is an excellent way to get kids to talk about intimidation and bullies and other issues that they might not be able to comfortably talk about. When discussing the events in the book, and what Bobby went through, these kids get to frame their thoughts using Bobby's experiences.

It is an amazing tool, written by a school principal, himself a victim of bullies when he was a child. He found a way to empower himself and the bully lost his control. It is an easy read for 4th-9th graders. The content is a compelling conversation starter.

Bobby's Story immediately engages the reader with characters who come alive and compel one to learn more about them. On his first day at a new school Bobby is dressed poorly and is the object of obvious derision by other students and Bobby soon becomes a victim of a notorious school bully. Bobby's adjustment to his new school might have continued to be difficult, but Bobby is smart and strong in character. He links up with other students who are tired of the bullying and with Bobby's leadership a plan to abolish all bullying in their school emerges.
The actions of Bobby and his friends are developed in a thoughtful, creative way that empowers students to stand up for what is right. With passivity there is an assumption that others accept or condone the bullying behavior. They found they were not aloe in longing for justice and respect in their school. They draw on their study of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution as a foundation for their principles of a safe, bully-free school experience. With the realization that they have the potential to stop bullying by joining together. Bobby's Story has a powerful, positive message for students and an emotional impact on the reader.

Great for the classroom!
As I read this story to my 4th grade students, they were completely engaged. This book is easy to read aloud, and my students hated it when we had to stop! As a teacher, I love the message it shares: bullying is NOT ok! This story really helps students understand what bullying does to another person.

Bobby is every-boy USA.

This should be used in bully-proofing programs everywhere!

by the school district of Santa Barbara.

Bobby's Story is an amazing story of one teen's courage, not only standing up to a bully, but empowering his classmates to do the same to end one bully's reign of fear.

It is a book that every student should read and the Santa Barbara school district is insightful enough to say so!

"A Boy From Lawrence" is a labor of love, containing the collected personal writings of former Professor Eugene Connolly, edited by his wife, Sally Connolly. "A Boy From Lawrence" is more than a collection of inspirational writings, poems , and quotations, it is the story of a soul's journey to God, in very humble language. The gentle narrative illumines the life and ways of a most remarkable man, of tangible goodness. Acceptance of loss, with a surety of grace, the theme of many pages is perhaps the ever present goodness of God. One of the most moving chapters is part of a section called "Let Evening Come," named after a poem by Jane Kenyon, who also died of cancer, like Eugene Connolly. Because it speaks to the heart, and because it was evidently important to Connolly, here is a part of it:

Let the light of late afternoon
shine though chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.

Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to aid in the lung,
let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don't
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come. (page 113)

"A Boy From Lawrence" is filled with such treasures. It is a very uplifting meditation book, recommended for those in need of comfort, illumination, redirection, grace, or prayer.

Reading this collection of writings by a beloved English professor, husband and father brought tears to my eyes. The reader meets a man of wit, humor, warmth and grace who loves his God, his family, his students and colleagues deeply and honestly. He was also a brave man who spoke from the heart to his students in a commencement address about real happiness and love. I wish I had known Gene Connolly better when he was alive because of reading this book. William A. Barry, S.J.

As a periodic journal keeper and modern day blogger, I sometimes pause to think about what people might say about me one day when I am long gone from this earth should they happen to wander upon some of my writings. With this in mind, I recently had the pleasure of reading a wonderful book entitled A Boy From Lawrence: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly (March 2006, paperback, 224 pages).

Lovingly compiled and edited by his widow Sally A. Connolly, A Boy From Lawrence introduces us to the life of Eugene Connolly from his childhood wanderings in Massachusetts through his career as a noted educator and into the twilight of his life and beyond. A verbal scrapbook of sorts, A Boy From Lawrence is a compilation of Connolly's remembrances, correspondences, poetry, prayers and finally the eulogies delivered at the funeral of this special man.

As someone outside of Eugene Connolly's sphere of influence, to read his words is to wish you knew him personally. His devotion to family, faith and his students shines through in his writing. Time spent reading this book uplifted me personally - it left me looking for ways to touch others with my life in the manner in which Eugene Connolly undoubtedly did with his.

Clearly faith and family were at the core of the life of Eugene Connolly, which was perhaps the secret behind his success in other areas of his life. One of my favorite lines in the book comes from a letter from Eugene to his son where he shares, "...I found for myself a wife who has me singing with joy every day." Following his illness and passing, Connolly's wife Sally took upon herself the task of sharing the voice of this unique man by compiling and editing the written words he had left behind. Her work is a testament to the light shed by this man and a gift to those of us who will grow through our own reading of his thoughts and ideas.

Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Reader Views (6/06)

Eugene Connelly was husband, father, son, brother, teacher, and very devout Catholic. This book is Dr. Connelly's writings - some are notes on classes he taught, some are eulogies for friends, some are just remembrances, and some are the toasts he gave at his daughters' wedding reception. Along with all his musings there are also a couple of eulogies from Dr. Connelly's funeral, one by one of his daughters and the other by his good friend, George Bailey.

The beginning of the book is reminiscences of Connelly's boyhood in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He talks about his home life and his friends. He also writes about his time teaching at Northern Essex Community College. He said of his profession "Teaching nourishes me. It also awes me." One summer he was diagnosed with a vocal cord irregularity, and Dr. Connelly could not speak. The summer speaking classes were very special to him and he did not want to give it up. So he decided to teach through notes and pantomime. Dr. Connelly was frustrated at not being able to talk and wondered how this experiment would work. Later a student wrote to him "As the first class ended and we were leaving, I shook Dr. Connelly's hand. He gave me a big smile and I smiled back. Walking to my car, I thought, 'This class is going to be a lot of fun.' "

Even after he retired Dr. Connelly contacted several people to find out ways he could help in their efforts whether it was in seminars or wanting help the people of Rwanda. His daughter said of him "He passed along to all of us exactly what he lived for. He has given us a loving family and strong moral values, faith in God and the goodness of the world, a thirst for knowledge and love of learning, an appreciation of nature and humble amazement of the world we live in, and he taught us the importance of living meaningful lives and making the world a little better by our living."

Dr. Bailey said "Gene, through out your entire life, you never forgot that you were just a boy from Lawrence! You certainly showed what a boy from Lawrence could do!"

"A Boy From Lawrence" is a book of deep faith and love, for God, family and friends.

A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly is an inspiring account of life and work of Eugene F. Connolly. The writer sees the reader as he lives his life--not a hindsight look as many memoirs are. If you would like to see my full review on this book go to MyShelf.Com and look for this title.

I confess I was drawn to this book by a)the inside jacket cover photo of the exceptionally attractive young female memoirist who seemed posessed of an enigmatic, almost haunted look, and b) the mysterious suggestiveness of the book title and partially obscured cover photo -- redolent of dark family revelations -- and I was not disappointed. 30-year old Jill Christman writes a searing account of harrowing family traumas, including her own recovered memory of childhood sexual abuse, the tragic auto accident that killed the young man who was the love of her life, her older brother's being nearly scorched to death by a freak shower incident, her near life-long estrangement from her father, and the wretched death in jail of a beloved uncle incarcerated for growing marijuana. All of these dark tales are leavened with ironic humor and described in superb detail. For me, the near 20 page account of Jill's preparation of a melted cheese sandwich for her frail grandmother, the ingestion of which led to her not untimely demise, was the piece de resistance.

If you have not read this book I suggest you do. I laughed out loud, cried, and was at a loss for words with this book. I really liked how the author used the nameless voice to bring out the questions and answers from the inside. I love to read and this is by far the best memoir that I've read.

I laughed out loud, cried, and was at a lost for words while reading this book. The element that sticks out is the second voice that appears throughout the piece. I encourage everyone who loves to read to read this book. I couldn't put it down once I started. I read it in one day. Job well done Professor Christman!

This book is a perfect example of the possibilities of creative nonfiction. Like the originator of the personal essay, Montaigne, Jill Christman chooses her self as her subject-the "I"-yet, in doing so, is really writing about all of us-the "we"-of humanity. Like more modern writers-Woolf, Stein, Eliot and so on-Christman also brings to her work a richness of prose, an understanding of arrangement and construction, and the confidence to employ such techniques as flashbacks, photo collages, and intertextuality. As a teacher of literature, I enjoyed this book for all of the reasons listed above. As a person who simply loves to read, I enjoyed this book because it is a GOOD READ! Sometimes sad, sometimes happy, sometimes terrible, sometimes funny-this book consistently had me turning the pages. I certainly recommend it.

With some of the intensity of *The Bell Jar* and some of its artlessness, *Darkroom* purportedly details Jill Christman's life with disarming candor and rue. Born into a family so doggedly dysfunctional that the alternative is never an issue, the author's account of suffering bulimia, sexual abuse, and inadequate and self-centered relatives makes a sad but not an unfamiliar recipe. It is counterpointed by her many-sided love for her family and boyfriend. Interspersed throughout the scatter-shot presentation, Ms. Christman weaves the idea of art, pictorial and literary: this is a book or a photo, not life. Well, you can't have it both ways, yet if this element perforce seems insufficiently integrated, her narrative remains, despite the post-modernist consciousness, a sharply affecting story.

Maybe it's because I grew up in Mount Airy (the setting for most of the book) and I take pride in being the product of such a unique place, but I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Interestingly, I saw a news recap of the protest march for the Jena 6 tonight, where well-tanned white anchorman interviewed the highschool football coach, who had no idea that there were ratial tensions in his town - "there's no rule that says they can't go to our church, they just don't want to" - RIGHT... This book touches on the ingrained bigotry of white suburbia in the 50's (not that it's come so far) and the tenssions in more-urban Philadelphia surrounding the process of "white flight," which was occuring in urban communities nation-wide. It's notable however that this story probably would never have been written if the author had moved even a few miles away to west Philadelphia where the racial make-up of the neighborhoods were almost completely turned over (and where another turnover has been ongoing for a decade or so). It is a testament, not only to the author but many of her neighbors who chose to stay that Mount Airy is considered one of the first successfully integrated communities in America, having been noted for this in Oprah's magazine (bette late than never) and US News & Word Report. Anyone interested in learning about mid-century "white flight" and the undercurrent oooof racism in America in general will find this book and the community described to be a welcome stand-out.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it led me to understand some of the truths of society that I had somehow ignored and denied. This book will cause you to examine yourself and the society you live in in an entirely new light. It changed my outlook on my life dramatically.

Lois Stalvey came from a middle-class white Midwestern background in the 1950s-60s. She was ignorant of racial problems. She thought that outright racism never occurred in her community. That perception was changed when she made friends with an African-American doctor who was trying to buy a house. She then discovered the substantial vein of racism running through her community, in her friends and neighbors. She was ostracized and shunned for trying to help out this black family. She then continually got more and more involved in fighting for civil rights for black people. This is her story. An excellent introduction to race relations for Midwestern/ rural whites like me who saw few black people when we were growing up. Also the book gives a glimpse into racial attitudes of middle-class whites in the Midwest in the 1950s and 60s.

I read this book for a Diversity in the Workplace class I took at college. I can never tell you how much it opened my eyes. Being married to a black man and having bi-racial children didn't teach me as much as this book did. If you have the time and the inclination, please read this book. The only draw back is the price. Using it for a textbook has given the sellers a license to charge as much as they can on it. And it is a shame because more people should read this but they can't afford to buy it.

I worked in the library in college and happened on this book in the stacks. I had started a group to end white racism but never found another resouce to help me with this process. I read this book cover to cover, send it to the elders of my church, gave copies to friends...spent all my money buying copies so this womens journey from a total unconsciousness about white racism grew and grew and grew, She didn't know, she didn't understand but when she did, she did something about it. Not only in the midwest, but after encountering more"subtle" racism when she moved East to Philadephia. I loved this book. Still give it away. Admire her courage and her journey and her willingness not only to change but to do something to change the injustcie she learned about around her.

Dr. Bertman's "Facing Death"  has helped me and my clients.  A new favorite, I refer to it often. As a therapist, I find it to be the most valuable relevent addition to my library.   Loaded with tools and comforting observations made by children and  adults of many walks of life, we're shown the relevance of the grieving process to us all regardless of our ethnic background, sosioeconomic status, or age.  I share these quotations and observations with my clients.

As an individual,  trying to make sence of my own grieving process, I find  the book to be a refreshing  sorce of  emotional comfort. It's full of theraputic gifts.  Were I currently teaching I would insist my students read this book.

I thought the book gave an excelent view of living with death. I got the book to help me with my studdies and I found it very usefull.

Bertman has done an excellant job of jam packing a book full of paintings, sculpture, line art, cartoons and diagrams on the subject of death. Thoough her focus is mostly on dying the images are relevant, as well, in exploring mortality in general. Bertman has not made the mistake of making her work too theoretical or logocentric. She offers advice for creating art related to dying as well as advice on interpreting such art.
This book serves well in a death education course,or for the art therapist working in a hospice or similar setting as well as individuals who wish to explore ideas on death that are manifested in art.

As a medical educator, it can be difficult to find ways of helping students explore their emotional responses to suffering, death, and grief in ways that are safe and accessible, but challenging and useful. Dr. Bertman's book has turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. This collection of visual representations with explanatory text is a great starting place for discussions about the issues of life, death, and illness for learners at any level, from children to patients and families, to health care practitioners.

Facing Death is an extraordinary resource for health care professionals and teachers, religious leaders, and for anyone either contemplating death in the abstract or facing it personally or as a friend or relative of someone with a fatal illness. It is an exquisite and empathic blend of reflect, review, verbal and visual images, and practical suggestions. It contains poignant quotes from poets, novelists, and families; powerful photographs of the interactions of family members with a dying grandparent; drawings by students asked to depict their feelings about death; and photographs of great and powerful works of visual art. The author uses the arts as stimuli to help patients and students acknowledge and explore their own feelings and behaviors. This book is enormously useful to me as a mortal middle-aged human being, as a physician caring for patients, and as a teacher.

J.Wesley Null and Diane Ravitch have, through compiling this masterful collection of readings, provided a wonderful resource for those of us who want to fundamentally change teacher education in the United States. Since the early part of the 20th Century, what would later become colleges of education, have been dominated by the often-misapplied progressive theories associated with John Dewey. The results of this intellectual dominance include a lack of respect for academic subject matter, a fuzzy romanticism focused upon teachers as societal change agents, and a lowering of standards for aspiring teachers. Progressive orthodoxy so dominates education colleges that future teachers often don't even learn the counter arguments the "forgotten heroes" of this book so effectively make.

Anyone who is involved in the preparation of teachers and is a proponent of such common-sense notions as the paramount role of academic content in teaching, high standards for students, and the teacher's responsibility for academic and moral classroom leadership, should buy this book. Although the most recent essay was penned in 1960, the arguments of these intellectual opponents of the then-emerging progressive conventional wisdom are, for the most part, as fresh today as when written. Carefully reflect upon the essays of such master teachers and scholars as William C. Bagley and Issac L. Kandel who are included in the anthology. Then, if you are involved in teacher education make sure your students experience the genuine intellectual diversity represented in the contents of this book. This is a useful tool in the mounting effort within many education schools to end the progressive intellectual monopoly.

¨Education, true education, should liberate"

By Richard K. Munro MA, Renshaw Fellow UVA 2004

Null, Wesley and Diane Ravitch, Eds. Forgotten Heroes of American Education , Information Age Publishing, Greenwich Connecticut, 2006



America, all is not lost. In 1987 we had The Closing of the American Mind by the late Allan Bloom followed by E.D. Hirsch's Cultural Literacy, Diane Ravitch's classics Left Back (2000) and The Language Police (2003). 2006 gave us John Dewey and the Decline of American Education by Henry Edmondson and now FORGOTTEN HEROES OF AMERICAN EDUCATION edited by Wesley Null and Diane Ravitch. Here we have essays -some published for the first time- from great American educators of the so-called "Traditionalist/Essentialist" school such as William Bagley, Isaac Kandel, Charles DeGarmo, and Charles Alexander McMurray among others, including the forgotten essays of the John Dewey in which Dewey criticizes the excesses of some of his colleagues of the liberal-romantic-progressive school. Here, in FORGOTTEN HEROES we have great appeals to the traditional foundations of wisdom, learning and education but also appeals to her scientific, cultural as well as her authentically progressive foundations. These thinkers have much to say to 21st century America about curriculum, teacher training, the foundations of a proper educational philosophy, student discipline, and the purpose of formal schooling in a free society. Ravitch and Null have added splendid short biographies and commentaries not to mention a list of recommended readings.
Much of the book is dedicated to the vital and still pertinent essays of William Bagley. Like Victor Davis Hanson, Bagley was no mere ivory tower intellectual; he worked in agriculture and owned his own farm. Bagley had wide experience as a classroom teacher, a principal and superintendent. Bagley favored a free liberal education for all Americans regards of their IQ or future occupation. In "The Army Tests and Pro-Nordic Propaganda" Bagley opposed the determinism, extreme social Darwinism and deep racial supremacy of the 1920's as inhumane, un-American and anti-democratic. Bagley's essays CRAFTSMANSHIP IN TEACHING, THE IDEAL TEACHER and EDUCATION AND UTILITY are literary jewels, well-crafted, lucid and informative. Bagley was right to recognize the profound anti-intellectualism and utilitarianism in liberal/romantic/progressive theory. Bagley is a teacher's teacher: he respects the craft of teaching. Bagley understands that teaching is above all a calling and an act of service, sacrifice and love. Teaching could never be an entirely mercenary profession, though a man would say today taking a "vow of poverty" might be going too far! Bagley was one of the first educators to be concerned about the 'blob' the growing non-teaching bureaucracy which considered the classroom teacher to be at the bottom of the profession. Ever the supporter of high educational standards Bagley made a very strong case that the fundamental factor in academic excellence was based on the quality of the classroom teacher.
Isaac Kandel, another of the "forgotten heroes" made his "Address at St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University" in 1940, unpublished until this volume. In this age of terror this address is very timely. In it Kandel calls for an educational philosophy with integrity based on deep gratitude for the practical wisdom, Natural Rights philosophy of the Founders as well as the true roots of the "dignity of the individual", America's Judeo-Christian heritage. Only by recurring to fundamental principles, Kandel believed, could we hope to preserve our free society. Kandel wrote "The basic principles of democracy are rooted in the religious traditions of Jew and Christian alike." "Man ....cannot live on negation...he needs values that have stood the test of time." "Education, true education, should liberate; it should cultivate the genuinely free man, the man of moral judgment, of intellectual integrity.....intolerance and hatred are the foundations of the new [ totalitarian] ideologies; Love thy neighbor as thyself is the injunction of the Hebrew prophets and of the Golden Rule." These are just some of the gems from Isaac Kandel on a rigorous curriculum: "It is foolish to except a child to grow up in a right social direction along the lines of his own felt wants as it is to expect a man to find his way in unfamiliar territory without a map or a compass. Organized subject matter constitutes that map..." Kandel on low standards: "the harm done American education by the cult of...superficiality is incalculable." Kandel warns that the disunity in America could come again if we fail to provide an education "to inculcate faith in the ideals of democracy....without well-defined content, [there is]... inevitably... a negation of ideals and faith... a repudiation of the inherited forms of culture and of humanity without which the surface changes in the stream of life are mistaken for the waves of the future." Kandel's essay on "Character Formation" (1959) is one of many outstanding contributions. According to Kandel, an important aim in education throughout history is the ideal of character formation. Kandel writes: "with the declining influence of religious institutions....with the extension of mass media...the task of character formation becomes more and more difficult... all these conflicting influences may be added a certain relaxation of standards, both intellectual and disciplinary...the 'get by' attitude." Kandel is so cultivated and yet so moving and so lucid that for his essays alone FORGOTTEN HEROES would be worth it.
Recently I was told the story of a well known professor of education who said: "It doesn't matter what they [teachers] know...All that matters is how they teach." In other words process counts not knowledge, not virtue, not wisdom! So it is true the Deweyite Sophists have taken over the academy particularly in "Teacher Ed"! This is just one true life story of the doctrinaire liberals who dominate in Teacher's Colleges. There Deweyite learning or doctrine -by this I mean the Romantic-progressive school -a traditionless tradition- is practically an established religion. As Hanson, Thornton and Heath have written previously in BONFIRE OF THE HUMANITIES; "... the American academic culture is one of the most glaring failures and embarrassments of modern society itself."
The thesis of FORGOTTEN HEROES is that the tradition of teaching and learning going back to Plato and Aristotle represented by Bagley, Kandel and others has never been extinguished despite the long 20th century ascendancy of Dewey's Liberal-Romantic-Progressive school. The whole point of Bloom, E. D. Hirsch, Null and Ravitch is until teachers improve in quality, and schools improve in discipline and organization all the money in the world will do no good. Disoriented, demoralized American teachers, unprepared by barely relevant teacher education programs, crushed beneath the wheel of a bloated, misguided bureaucracy, unsupported by their own administrations, may have become `weak sisters' (and brothers) in, reading, writing and the ACADEMIC disciplines. Bagley, Kandel and the other FORGOTTEN HEROES knew that well-educated classroom teachers were crucial to the survival and success of the American Republic. FORGOTTEN HEROES OF AMERICAN EDUCATION is truly splendid anthology for specialists or for the general reader. It is not an exaggeration to say FORGOTTEN HEROES is a book that ought to be familiar to every concerned school teacher and wise administrator, every involved parent and thoughtful citizen and every dedicated civic and community leader.

June 22-July 2 2006

J. Wesley Null and Diane Ravitch have co-edited a superlative book of the best of those " forgotten heroes " who, many years ago, established the great tradition of teaching teachers. Null and Ravitch have crafted the selected writings of William C. Bagley, Charles De Garmo, William Torrey Harris, Isaac Leon Kandel,Charles Alexander McMurry, William C. Ruediger and Edward Austin Sheldon. If you have never heard of these names, then it is time that educators are exposed to their seminal ideas. If you are familiar with their ideas and conceptions, then this text will reinvigorate and reinforce the importance of their work and theorizing. These authors have a clear, pristine vision of what education could and should be. These authors have crafted their essays into invigorating, stimulating, energizing monuments to the work of pedagogy. In these essays, one is exposed to " marvelous alliteration of the liquid consonants" as well as to " the beauty of their grandeur or the nobility of their underlying thoughts". This book should be read three times- once for the intellectual and historical understanding of their work, once for the stimulating writing style and once to understand the foundations of educational thought and the importance of educational theory and history. In this age of " No Child Left Behind" we need to emphasize the importance of not leaving any " Forgotten Heroes of American Education " behind. Parents whose children are considering the teaching profession may want to present this book to their high school or college offspring to provide them with a foundation and understanding of American education and those who sculpted the basics of American teacher training. This book is a superlative example of "the best of some of America's greatest thinkers as well as teacher trainers". It is hoped that this book will enable educators to keep alive the thoughts of Aristotle, Pestalozzi, Rousseau, Herbart and Froebel in the current educational climate. The profession owes a sincere " thank you " to Null and Ravitch for this impeccably edited, thought provoking text.

This is a very important book for people interested in American education. The book helps us to move beyond the sad complaining that goes on these days when the topic of public education is brought up. Anytime education comes up among my friends, all that anyone does is complain. Our situation is certainly bad, but this book will actually help us to improve things. The heroes, as they call them, that Diane Ravitch and J. Wesley Null have included in the book have some very important things to say to us. They fought against the nonsense that has done so much damage, but they also did more than complain. The book includes some real ideas for helping us to move beyond griping to making things better by giving us more teachers who are well-prepared to teach in today's difficult culture. Read this book, and I say suggest it to your friends, especially if they are in education. Any book that Ravitch is involved with should be taken seriously by people who care about education.

This book has the potential to revolutionize teacher education. Null and Ravitch have put together some very powerful essays that have a lot to teach us about curriculum, teacher education, philosophy, and the history of education. Everyone involved in teacher education must read this book. I am a teacher, and every teacher who cares about our profession also should read this book as well. And the price is reasonable, too--especially for a 650 page book.