Product Description

Schools That Do Too Much is a Beacon Press publication.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1253603 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-01
• Released on: 2003-12-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 143 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this concise proposal for school reform, Kralovec asks a simple question, but one with complex and profound implications: "what would happen if we held all school programs to the same criterion: they must contribute to learning in core academic areas as defined by state learning standards?" Schools are trying to do so much, she says, that actual time for instruction has eroded, students suffer fragmented and chaotic school days, and they leave school unprepared for the challenges of the world. Kralovec-former schoolteacher, education professor and consultant-is no back-to-basics ideologue. Her acclaimed and controversial book The End of Homework argued against excessive homework and made a case for releasing children and parents from this burden. But she does care about learning, and to the extent that competitive athletics in particular, but other "extras" as well, detract from this essential mission, they should be reconsidered, she says. Kralovec calls for schools and communities to "recalibrate" their relationship, with communities becoming actively involved in providing educational opportunities for young people-e.g., sports, drama and community service-and to allow schools and teachers to do what they do best: focus on academic learning. This will involve a radical shifting of priorities and budgets, deep changes in school structures and a new commitment on the part of parents, teachers and others to participate in the lives of young people. Kralovec's succinct work should set the tone for conversations that administrators, school boards and politicians need to be having across the nation in order to improve education.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Designed to "start a national conversation" about misplaced school priorities, this book challenges the way that most American schools are structured. Kralovec, the author of the controversial The End of Homework, argues schools spend too much time and too much money on schedules and programs that actually undermine the learning process. She advocates rethinking how both time and money are spent and offers some radical solutions to the educational woes afflicting U.S. schools. Maintaining that zero-based budgeting is actually a tool for reform, she outlines an educational budget that starts from scratch and necessitates a complete articulation of community goals for education before any resources can be allocated. She also recommends the end of homework, the elimination of student fundraising, and the removal of athletic and drama programs from the public school domain. Though many will balk at some of her more drastic solutions, Kralovec presents well-reasoned arguments and provides plenty of food for thought about the contemporary educational crisis. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Etta Kralovec is a Beacon Press author.

Customer Reviews

interesting, important, but not perfect
Kralovec raises two interesting and important questions in this book: What should schools actually be responsible for, and how should the various "additional" (in Kralovec's view) activities and concepts be handled? She advocates removing athletics and drama from the domain of the school, placing them instead in the hands of community groups and businesses, and argues that doing so will allow schools to focus more effectively on the business of learning.

Kralovec's stance is a brave and innovative one, but she barely acknowledges the fact that any such radical change would be possible only after a LOT of hard work by school and community leaders. She does recognize the fact that many people would be angry about proposing these changes. Overall, I don't feel the book does enough to make this kind of change possible -- that is, there isn't enough concrete information about how to bring about real school reform.

Kralovec uses a kind of composite sketch to describe the problems in American secondary schools; some schools are better learning environments than the author describes, and some are even less productive. She also seems to rely on a very few studies to support her ideas, and frequently speaks in generalities. The book as a whole could have been edited better for things like parallel structure, consistent verbiage, and Those Mistakes that Spell-Check Can't Help With.

I think these are important ideas, and it's clear that Kralovec really believes in her thesis. _Schools That Do Too Much_ is worth reading, but the writing itself leaves a bit to be desired. I would (actually, I did) get it from the library rather than purchasing.

Answers to School's Time and Money Woes
"Schools That Do Too Much" by Etta Kralovec gives insight to the "hows and whys" of where a portion of our education dollars are spent. Ms. Kralovec also takes us through a typical day in the life of a high school student. The time and money lost in our education system according to her is "eye-opening" to say the least. Although I do not agree with all of her findings as being money and time wasters; what she conveys will have you agreeing with her. Schools today are not delivering what is needed for our students. Read this direct and easy to follow book and then draw your own conclusions about today's public school expectations.

A Superb Place to Begin Discussions
As Heather Martin-Zboray states in her review, this is a book well worth reading. Its suggestions are simple but radical for most Americans: let community groups sponsor sports and drama, and let the schools teach a core curriculum!

Shifting to longer class periods (the 90-minute block); starting high school at 9am rather than 7:30am (when most scientific studies reveal that adolescents should be asleep); removing disruptive loud speakers; extending the school day so that teachers can tutor students one-on-one on a daily basis; etc. are the core of Kralovec's suggestions.

Other than overcoming community aversion to these suggestions because "things always were done OUR way," there are no real roadblocks to the suggestions here. The question is this: Does America have the willpower to try to effect effective change which truly promotes learning?