The American School: From the Puritans to No Child Left Behind [Paperback]

Joel Spring (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0073525898 | ISBN-13: 978-0073525891 | Edition: 7

This current, comprehensive history of American education is designed to stimulate critical analysis and critical thinking by offering alternative interpretations of each historical period. The point of view taken by this text emphasizes 1) the role of multiculturalism and cultural domination in shaping U.S. schools, 2) the position of the school as one of many institutions that manage the distribution of ideas in society, 3) racism as a central issue in U.S. history and U.S. educational history, and 4) economic issues as an important factor in understanding the evolution of U.S. schools.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joel Spring received his Ph.D. in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin. He is currently a Professor at Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His great-great-grandfather was the first Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory and his grandfather, Joel S. Spring, was a local district chief at the time Indian Territory became Oklahoma. He currently teaches at Queens College of the City University of New York. His major research interests are history of education, multicultural education, Native American culture, the politics of education, global education, and human rights education. He is the author of over twenty books and the most recent are How Educational Ideologies are Shaping Global Society; Education and the Rise of the Global Economy; The Universal Right to Education: Justification, Definition, and Guidelines; Globalization and Educational Rights; and Educating the Consumer Citizen: A History of the Marriage of Schools, Advertising, and Media.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 7 edition (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0073525898
• ISBN-13: 978-0073525891
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #347,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joel Spring is Professor at Queens College and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very in depth, June 27, 2009

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Rachel (Murfreesboro, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The American School: From the Puritans to No Child Left Behind (Paperback)

This serves as a "history of education" text at my university. It is very in depth and provides an excellent overview of the history of public education in America.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chock full of good information, June 11, 2011

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JAM - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The American School, A Global Context: From the Puritans to the Obama Administration (Paperback)

Spring's analytical approach provides a ton of information on the US educational system that leaves the reader well informed. A truly thought-provoking book that I would recommend for anybody who has an interest in education.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great content, too expensive for students, May 14, 2011

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motis - See all my reviews

This review is from: The American School: From the Puritans to No Child Left Behind (Paperback)

I also was assigned this book along with two more 'traditional' history of education - type texts. It is a terrific choice to get students to think differently and critically about education. It incorporates a variety of ways to look at education and more importantly to me the history of people that other textbooks ignore. However, I find it difficult to recommend this book as a text because of the price. It isn't even a hard covered book. It might get used more if the cost wasn't so prohibitive and I truly believe every school of education should use it.