EduCrisis! What To Do When Public Schools Fail [Paperback]

James T. Evans (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0964038811 | ISBN-13: 978-0964038813 | Publication Date: August 31, 1999

From school-board scandals across the nation to the Dallas school superintendent who went to prson, from Ebonics to bilingual education, "EduCrisis!" exposes the forces that control public education at the expense of students and taxpayers - and shows how parents can escape government-run education: by relying on highly-motivated, high-performing parochial schools; joining the home-schooling explosion; finding the real reasons why private schools excel; and support in the growing voucher revolution.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James T. Evans earned his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center and, at age 26, became the youngest sitting judge in Texas. One company he founded spent over $1,000,000.00 for adult literacy. Now a business attorney and political strategist, he serves on the boards of Putting Chidlren First, Houston's READ Commission for Adult Literacy, and the Center for the Study of Popular Culture. His 1994 book, "Where Liberals Go To Die", was hailed as "The best guide to what's wrong with liberalism you're likely to find ... by an ex-liberal," by David Horowitz, author of "Radical Son".

Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: West Eagle Pub Inc (August 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964038811
• ISBN-13: 978-0964038813
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,468,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educrisis is eduaccurate!, June 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: EduCrisis! What To Do When Public Schools Fail (Paperback)

James Evans has done a wonderful piece in this book. Like his previous writings, this book is well written and simply illustrates the errors of liberal education. The book is well grounded with facts substantiated by footnotes of research. He illustrates the decline of academic standards in public schools. At the same time, he shows the reader the dangerous development of misleading programs in multiculturalism, bilingual education, and illusions of how technology will solve current teaching problems. Moreover, he exposes the system for its real objective that is one of political agenda. Through this agenda, Evans tells the reader how millions of dollars are wasted never to fall within the reach of students and teachers in classrooms. Teacher unions, school administrators, and politicians who have been self serving at the expense of America's children advance this agenda. Overall, Mr. Evans has done a fine piece demonstrating how the product of public education has been a shortfall for exposing children to the very best teachers and resources that they should be prepared with.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good job Mr. Evans., April 17, 2000

By 

D. Moise (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: EduCrisis! What To Do When Public Schools Fail (Paperback)

Educrisis hits the nail on the head about what is wrong with our schools. Every person running for office who speaks of improving public schools owes this book a read. Mr. Evans leaves no stone unturned. He tells us how bureaucracy and politics are wasting our children's future. This book is carefully researched and put forth in a very logical way. Good job Mr. Evans.

5.0 out of 5 stars thorough and intelligent, September 5, 2006

By 

bookloversfriend (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: EduCrisis! What To Do When Public Schools Fail (Paperback)

This is a thorough examination of current problems of public education, social, economic and political, with the political covering both local and federal levels. The contents:

Dumbing by Design
Covering Up the Dumbing Down
College High
Gateway to the Underclass
Meltdown
Boyz in the Unlikelihood
Public Loses Faith in Public Schools
Politics is Bad Management
The Tail that Wags the Donkey
The Clintons
Producers vs. Reform
The Payers and the Plays
Fitness to Rule
The Tour
Ownership
Bad Teaching
Unintended Consequences
Shankerism
The Three A's
Beating the Streets--Why Private Schools are Better
Homeschooling
The Truth About School Choice

Dumbing by Design:
"scores in the SAT fell from 492 in 1967 to 466 in 1980. In the late 1970s, when scores for the top 20% began to nose-dive, the purveyors made the SAT easier. In 1995, they extended the time allowed for taking the test, dropping some of the more challenging vocabulary sections, and allowed the use of calculators." (p. 1) "Beginning in 1995, high-school students taking the SAT were given a bonus of about 95 points." ( p. 3)

"Displaying knowledge, even expressing an interest in learning, is so `uncool' that many public-school students knuckle under to peer pressure." (p. 4)

Covering Up the Dumbing Down:
"In most accounts, it was easier to promote the students than deal with their students' learning problems." (p. 7). An entire school district was indicted for tampering with test data. (p. 8). "the mercy grading system. Teachers in high school are giving more A grades than ever--to help their students get into college." (p. 13).

Ownership: "the genital examination of 11 year old girls without the full consent of the girls or the parents . . . parents allege that the semi-hysterical children who begged to be allowed to call their mothers were not allowed to do so." (p. 162).

Bad Teaching: "Education courses . . .consist of slogans and theories. Seldom were students required to demonstrate any proficiency with a core academic subject. A number of courses were mainly political indoctrination." (p. 165).

EduCrisis! should be read by anyone considering having their children "educated" and by anyone who has to pay taxes to "educate" other people's children. Also, if you like to read outside the box and would like to know how the present unimaginably bad situation came about in schools and colleges, read The Rape of Alma Mater. The information in that book is presented in story form, but the facts are accurate.