| What makes this book so interesting is Ravitch's documentation that "Progressive" education has been progressing in the same direction for over 100 years. The same ideas are rediscovered again and again, and those seeking to reform American schools have been fighting the same bogeymen (drilling, teacher as "sage on the stage") with the same rhetoric (teach the student, not the subject) for just as long. The book is at its best in showing that these ideas have been recycled numerous times. The book does not devote much space to evaluating how successful various reforms have been. In some cases (e.g., the look-say approach to reading) the data have been quite clear. In other cases, the fact that enthusiasm for a reform waned seems to speak for itself. But this was not a goal of Ravitch's in this book--she seeks to lay out the history of progressive education, not to evaluate the success of various approaches to education. Ravitch also does not make it her business to explore the *origin* of different reforms (in popular culture, in philosophy, economic changes, etc.) except when such origins are transparent. Again, this is an appropriate omission, given the goals of the book. It's not a short book, but Ravitch is a clear writer with a lively style. If you have much interest in the topic, you'll be very glad to read it. |
