Education Whims and Woes

Saving Schools: from Horace Mann to Virtual Learning
Paul E. Peterson

To help me get into the groove of thinking outside of my classroom and more about education in general, I picked up the book Saving Schools: From Horace Mann to Virtual Learning, by Paul E. Peterson. Why this book you may ask? I have to admit that I didn't know who Horace Mann was. With a bachelor's degree in elementary ed. and a master's in secondary ed., I felt as though I should have known the name, but I completely drew a blank. So that was the first thing that caught my eye. After flipping through the book, a couple of the chapters seemed interesting as well. Each year my students read Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, To Kill a Mockingbird and Mississippi Trial, 1955, and we talk about the United States during the 1930s through the 1960s, with regard to race relations. While looking through Saving Schools, I noticed a chapter on Martin Luther King Jr. and School Integration, so of course my curiosity was further piqued. The last thing I checked out before I purchased the book was the copyright date, which is 2010. With education policies changing and new buzz words being created daily, I wanted to read a book that would really focus on education today.

The book is set up into three parts: The Rise, The Decline, and Signs of Resurrection. Throughout the book, there are six chapters that focus on 6 different people who have in one way or another impacted education. They are Horace Mann, John Dewey, Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Shanker, William Bennett, and James S. Coleman. After recognizing only three of the names, I wondered about how many names would actually be recognized by the majority of teachers today? An interesting thought...

My plan is this...
As I read a chapter (or two), I decided that I would then blog my thoughts (I am still getting used to that word - blog). This will help me to make sense of the reading, as well as a way for me to organize my thoughts. So, if you are curious about the history and future of education, you are more than welcome to come along for the ride!

Coming up...Horace Mann...


Peterson, Paul E. Saving Schools: from Horace Mann to Virtual Learning. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2010. Print.