Education's Flashpoints

The body of the text proceeds to identify and explain many flashpoints which are current in a world of education where students’ best interests are hampered by teachers’ self-interests. Whenever an issue emerges in education and is analyzed in the context of what is best for students or teachers, teacher unions naturally pursue benefit for their members. This does not demean their effort; rather, it explains their intentions, and making their objectives transparent is a recurring theme throughout the book.  Dueck demonstrates that politicians are a core part of the problem because of their predilection for siding with power structures in society, namely unions and teachers rather than the clients of their services. Their thirst for votes from teachers’ unions, which represent one of the largest special interest groups within our communities, is not only a contributing factor in causing but also ameliorating these flashpoints. Underlying this thirst for electoral support is the reality that students cannot vote and do not have capacity for discerning how these complex educational issues impact them.

The new measurement of today's educational system is focused on student outcomes. This book by Dueck, longtime educator, school administrator, and assistant deputy minister in Alberta, Canada, incorporates his decades of personal experience as well as current empirical research to conclusively enlighten policy makers, professors, school administrators, educational scholars and researchers, and graduate students of school administration on the number of ways the educational system is adversely impacted and prevented from meeting students' needs. The book successfully describes many flashpoints that are current in the world of education where students' best interests are hampered by teachers' self-interests. The author argues that unions and politicians are the key contributors to the problem. Topics discussed include the accountability movement, teacher tenure, prolonged summer vacations, class size, teacher pay, and many more. Each chapter ends with a review and conclusion of key points, and the book ends with 11 recommendations and initiatives for systemwide improvement to the educational system. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; general readers.

Jim Dueck’s experience in education spans more than 35 years. Beginning as a teacher at West Dover Elementary School in Calgary in 1970, Jim soon stepped into the role of principal and then served for 13 years in district administration in British Columbia eventually becoming superintendent of Abbotsford, and later Nanaimo Ladysmith School Divisions. While working, Jim continued his post secondary studies, obtaining Baccalaureate and Masters degrees in education from the University of Calgary and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Brigham Young University.