Why School Reform Is Failing and What We Need to Do about It

Why School Reform Is Failing and What We Need to Do about It evolved from a review of the educational and managerial theory and history that shaped our contemporary public education system. This theoretical construct is then interpreted through more than forty years of valuable experience acquired by the author while working in the trenches of education reform. This book's amalgamation of theory and practice is translated into ten lessons learned from attempts to reform and improve public education to date. It provides the perspective of a practitioner as to how and why the unintended consequences of well-intentioned people have hindered, rather than helped, to reform and improve our schools. It calls for us to pause, take a deep breath, and learn from the experiences of the past before launching the latest reform de jour in a frenzied quest to find a silver bullet or quick fix to the many, varied and complex issues that are enmeshed in education reform. More importantly, it presents a roadmap and recommendations for steps that need to be taken to reform school reform so that we can realize meaningful and sustainable improvements in student achievement.

Two things are missing from the national debate on school reform: common sense derived from experience and an acknowledgement that systemic change doesn't happen overnight. Without a shred of sentimentality, Jerry Wartgow argues for patience and better implementation strategies in improving our schools. His 'take a deep breath' approach is a breath of fresh air after years of overheated rhetoric. Educators in the trenches will embrace the advice in this book., Wartgow skillfully and entertainingly shares his journey to show us how parents, teachers, and politicians must work together to improve education for children., This well written and insightful book is a must read for anyone who cares about the future of public education. Every chapter is packed with lessons learned from hours upon hours of school board and community meetings, union contract negotiations and budget balancing exercises. Nothing is easy about reforming public education but this book will help the reader gain a better understanding of the elements that must be in place for reform to be successful., People, not rules, make a good school. In this bold book, Jerry Wartgow takes aim at the sacred cows that keep us from restoring the human control needed to breathe life back into America's schools. Wartgow is persuasive in explaining why we need to save schools from the reformers., This book will raise eyebrows! Some will be astounded that Wartgow has precisely nailed-down the elements of school reform that currently don?t work. Others will be intrigued by his recommendations for steps that need to be taken by parents, teachers, administrators, legislators, citizens and labor leaders to rethink strategies and apply them long-term. Others will be offended because he posits that we all have abdicated our stake in bolstering student achievement....

Jerry Wartgow has over forty years of experience working in the trenches at all levels of education, including nearly thirty years as the president/chief executive officer of large, complex educational institutions and organizations. Most recently (2001-2005), he served as superintendent of Denver Public Schools. He is the founding president and president emeritus of the Colorado Community College System.