Congress and the Classroom: From the Cold War to "No Child Left Behind" [Hardcover]

Lee W. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0271032235 | ISBN-13: 978-0271032238 | Publication Date: September 30, 2007

Few pieces of legislation in recent years have caused as much public controversy as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This book analyzes the passage of this law, compares it to other federal education policies of the last fifty years, and shows that No Child Left Behind is an indicator of how and why conservative and liberal ideologies are gradually transforming. This is a fascinating story about the changing direction of politics today, and it will intrigue anyone interested in the history and politics of education reform.

The No Child Left Behind Act, proposed by conservative politicians, was approved by Congress in order to make states more accountable for their education systems and to hold all children to high academic standards. Until quite recently, conservative politicians were protesting federal involvement in schools. Today we find quite the opposite. Starting with the National Defense Education Act of 1958, Anderson weaves a detailed story of political evolution that is engaging, informative, and timely.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Covering in depth 50 years of American education history, Anderson's scholarly work considers Congress's role in federal government education policies, drawing principally from congressional records but rendering them in surprisingly accessible prose. Following congress from its initial reluctance to involve itself in state educational affairs to its current bipartisan belief in federal education investment, Anderson traces the debate from the Ordinance of 1785 to the landmark National Defense Act of 1958 to the "large-scale compromise" of the No Child Left Behind act, which balances "federal support and high-stakes accountability." Anderson has an eye for the telling quote, such as then-President Ford's prescient remark that the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 "will remain in effect even though the Congress appropriates far less than the amounts contemplated," cutting to the quick of a persistent problem in all American educational legislation: woeful underfunding. By keeping his analysis to a relatively small segment of the debate that touches so many, and by focusing on the last five decades of enacted legislation, Anderson has crafted a worthwhile and clarifying look at the changing face of federal educational funding.
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Review

Lee Anderson's analysis of the relationship between federal education policies and political ideologies is thoroughly researched, judiciously analyzed, and clearly presented. --Priscilla Wohlstetter, Political Science Quarterly

A solid contribution. This book brings the well-documented expansion in the federal education role together in a usefully systematic way, with the ideological rationale for each installment explored individually and in the aggregate. --Andrew Rudalevige, Dickinson College

This timely study contributes to our understanding on the evolution of federal involvement in public schools. The author makes extensive use of original Congressional sources to illuminate the tension between the liberals and the conservatives through several legislative episodes leading to the No Child Left Behind legislation. --Kenneth Wong, Brown University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Trd) (September 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271032235
• ISBN-13: 978-0271032238
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,187,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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