Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

Sarason challenges educators to understand that to continue to struggle for 'power over' rather than 'power with' overlooks the mutual interest of all parties that will stifle any real progress in education reform. In a classroom utilizing effective teaching practices students would respond to the question, 'How do you rate this book?' with all thumbs up.


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Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• 1 Confronting Intractability
• 2 Conceptualizing the Education System
• 3 Internal and External Perspectives on the System
• 4 Altering Power Relationships
• 5 Case in Point: Power Relationships in the Classroom
• 6 Obstacles to Change
• 7 Reform Efforts: Implementation, Imitation, and Replication
• 8 For Whom Do Schools Exist?
• 9 An Overarching Goal for Students

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Library Journal Review

In an attempt to prevent the failure of current educational reform efforts, Sarason (psychology, Yale) explores the issues confronting reform and presents them with new emphasis and focus. His book is addressed to those whose roles affect reform: the community of educators, legislators, policy makers, foundations, business leaders, and parents. Substantive chapter discussions and illustrative examples examine the present educational system regarding the areas of change, power relationships, cooperative learning, imitation, replication, intractability, and goals. The author ``challenges schools and communities to look at education in a whole new light,'' stating ``the biggest risk in education is not taking one.'' Exceptionally well written, this is not so much a blueprint for change, but a penetrating, inspirational tract which calls educators to action. Academic and public libraries serving educators and others concerned with these issues will not want to miss it.-- Francine M. DeFranco, St. John's Univ. Lib., Staten Island, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Sarason asserts that the intractability of schools has made past reforms predictable failures, and these failures will continue unless two issues are addressed: conceptualizing shools as a system and altering the power relationships that exist in schools. Sarason reminds readers that schools are complex social systems, and education reform therefore must address the relationship of schools to the community and the power struggles that occur within schools. He emphasizes that existing problems in education reflect larger societal problems. If meaningful reform is to occur the questions "For whom do schools exist?" and "What are the aims of schools?" must be successfully answered. Sarason provides unique suggestions for answering both questions. The education reform movement promotes the empowerment of teachers and parents. Sarason contends that to shift power from one level to another does not guarantee the accomplishment of desired outcomes. He does however, stress that altering power relations is a precondition to achieving the desired outcomes. Altered power relations in schools can create greater commitment to goals and can reduce adversarial relationships that currently exist in schools. Sarason challenges educators to understand that to continue to struggle for "power over" rather than "power with" overlooks the mutual interest of all parties that will stifle any real progress in education reform. In a classroom utilizing effective teaching practices students would respond to the question, "How do you rate this book?" with all thumbs up. -F. C. Brocato, Georgia Southern College