American Education (Paperback)

by Joel Spring (Author) "Why do we have public schools?..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, United States, Supreme Court (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
American Education---now in its ninth edition---continues its mission of providing a fresh, concise, and up-to-date introduction to the historical, political, social, and legal foundations of education and to the profession of teaching. Organized by topic, the text integrates historical, sociological and philosophical questions throughout. Like previous editions, this one is notable for the way it challenges students and engages them in analysis and critical thinking about the role and purposes of schooling in American society. Revised every two years in order to guarantee current analysis of the very latest developments in today's educational issues, American Education's critical and broad scope makes it an ideal text for beginning and advanced study of today's schools. Clear, concise, and authoritative – compact and affordable, too – with scholarship that is often cited as a primary source, American Education brings up-to-date information and challenging perspectives to teacher educators' classrooms. All chapters were updated and the following new sections were added: Education, Income, Social Class and Race in the Global Economy; Issues About Human Capitalism; Current Issues in Teacher Education; Race and Social Class; The Economics of Racism; Defining Racism; The Changing Color of the United States; Race, Social Class, and Equal Educational Opportunities; Teaching About Racism; The Failure of Desegregation; Inclusion; Teachers Resist the Call for Inclusion; Immigrant Languages; Immigrants and Teachers; Home Schooling; and Student Violence and Federal Action: A Case Study.

About the Author
Joel Spring, professor of education at the New School University, received his Ph.D. in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin. His father was born a citizen of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory prior to the abolishment of the Choctaw government and the creation of Oklahoma. Professor Spring’s current interest in Native American culture and history is a reflection of his Indian background. His major research interests are the history of education, multicultural education, Native American culture, and the politics of education. Professor Spring is the author of many books including The Cultural Transformation of a Native American Family and Its Tribe 1763-1995: A Basket of Apples; Images of American Life: A History of Ideological Management in Schools, Movies, Radio, and Television; and Political Agendas for Education: From the Christian Coalition to the Green Party. For McGraw-Hill Professor Spring has authored American Education; Wheels in the Head: Educational Philosophies of Authority, Freedom, and Culture from Socrates to Human Rights; The Intersection of Cultures: Multicultural Education in the United States and the Global Economy; Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A Brief History of the Education of Dominated Cultures in the United States, and Conflict of Interests: The Politics of American Education. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies; 9th edition (August 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072295694
• ISBN-13: 978-0072295696
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #771,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Left-Leaning Primer on U.S. Educational Issues, July 16, 2006

By	David P. Russo (Durham, NC, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: American Education (Paperback)

This work is a usable primer for political and social issues surrounding the contemporary U.S. educational system as well as providing some background history, but is marred by mediocre composition (and editing) and some leftist bias. It also provides a general introduction to the history of minority groups in U.S. education. Should be taken with a grain of salt, but a reasonable starting-off point.

Spring evinces strong opinions regarding centralized testing, and various other subjects. While certainly non-objective in multiple aspects his analysis of various themes--including testing--is nonetheless worthwhile in reminding us of the potential dangers to freedom that can arise in test-centered educational systems. In terms of flaws, Spring often makes references with less-than clear context and makes statements without evidence (e.g. publishing a 10-item list of faults with the No Child Left Behind Act by an anti-NCLB that is exaggerated and with no evidence given). Non-U.S. students may have difficulty understanding various aspects of U.S. educational history without referencing outside sources.

Spring's website can be found on McGraw-Hill here, so can evaluate/sample his writings and thought further:
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro Text to History/Thought of Amer. Education, July 12, 2001

By A Customer

I needed to get this textbook for a graduate level course on Social Issues in American Education. I think it is a wonderful introductory text to the history of education, as well as many of the schools and philosophies of thought that debate continually in American Education today. Many topics are covered that you hear about in the news and other media. Reviewing the facts on these issues (as Spring presents them terrifically) - will help you make your own decisions regarding these important issues. The text is very much a history text, and many of my colleagues had a difficulty reading through it. Many of them read the book like a textbook, and not as something that they could enjoy and actually get valuable information. Spring does a terrific job of displaying the facts of history and development of issues, and then explaining them to the fullest potential. I was fuzzy on a few educational issues, but Spring's clarity helped me understand them more completely. This book might also serve as a reference for one to go back to when an educational issue arises. Spring is continually amending the book through newer editions, so it is possible that one could use this book as a reference until the newer edition comes along. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a teacher or thinking about going into the education profession - or anyone who is more interested in the American Schools. As a teacher, I found it very informative, and the history and statistics, overall interesting. If you aren't into the summary and digestion of statistics, this book might not be for you. I enjoyed it thoroughly however.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Infuriating, September 30, 2006

By	MARK DEBELLIS - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: American Education (Paperback)

It's hard to have much confidence in a book that is so obviously slanted toward a particular agenda. For example, in the discussion of tracking, Spring cites one study that found "few benefits" of tracking, but makes no mention of other studies that found benefits to students of various levels (Loveless, 1999; Epstein & MacIver, 1992). This is political correctness with a vengeance, and I would not rely on this biased and polemical book to become informed about the issues.