Teacher Wars by Dana Goldstein

My high school students need to read, research and comment upon personal connections to a work of non-fiction. As I prepare by updating the booktalk, I had hoped that the newly published Teacher Wars by Dana Goldstein might intrigue them.  After all, they certainly have views on this topic and Goldstein has been called “Slate’s sharpest writer on education.” Plus, her new book received a starred review from Booklist and praise from Larry Cuban, Professor Emeritus of Education at Stanford University.

In the Epilogue, she says, “throughout this book I have tried to be more analytical than sharply opinionated.”  However, I think that her biases definitely come through and I am not sure that this book is objective enough to add constructively to the much needed discussion on teaching and school management. In a recent review, an NPR correspondent referred to the intensely polarized education reform debate and the Atlantic recently published “Why do Americans Love to Blame Teachers?”

Teacher Wars is most engaging when Goldstein provides examples of teachers and students who are experiencing real change and learning.  But, again and again, the complex and giant bureaucracy seems unable to effectively share best practices. Goldstein comments on how “developing new curricula is one of the most interesting, intellectually engaging aspects of schooling, and … could potentially help convince many well-educated, ambitious people to remain in the classroom.” She quotes a teacher who asks, “let me use what I know to create an experience for my students that reflects my expertise.”  That certainly seems like a place to start a meaningful conversation, but Goldstein is simultaneously maligning business and philanthropists who are also advocating for change. Instead, we need to be developing trust, more meaningful dialogue AND shared experiences between teachers and partners who are potential sources of funding and enthusiasm.  Goldstein was just published in The Wall Street Journal (a newspaper read regularly by our faculty who teach Econ, but not read by many other teaching colleagues). There, she described great teachers:

• Have active intellectual lives outside their classrooms;
• Believe intelligence is achievable, not inborn;
• Are data-driven; and
• Ask great questions.

Still, Goldstein seems disconnected; perhaps her argument would be stronger if she had more personal teaching experience?

I agree with other reviewers that this book is well-researched – in fact, almost 20% of the book is notes and bibliography. In roughly 10 chapters, Goldstein chronologically describes the history of teaching (from “Missionary Teachers: Common Schools Movement and the Feminization of American Teaching” through world wars, the Great Society to “Let Me Use What I know: Improving Education by Empowering Teachers”).  Overall, I found that Teacher Wars read too much like a textbook and will probably not include it in my upcoming booktalk.

Other titles related to education which we may consider for our high school project: Inside Mrs. B’s Classroom; Educating Esme; One World Schoolhouse (by Sal Khan); The Element (Sir Ken Robinson) and perhaps One Size Does Not Fit All, a student-written critique. A new title I will definitely be adding is How We Learn by Bernard Carey (review to be posted here soon).

Added Sept. 8: PBS NewsHour has also been exploring this issue.  Here is a short video from them: