Educating the "Right" Way : Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality [Paperback]

Michael W. Apple (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0415924626 | ISBN-13: 978-0415924627 | Edition: First Edition, First Printing

In this book Apple explores the 'conservative restoration' - the rightward turn of a broad-based coalition that is making successful inroads in determining American and international educational policy. It takes a pragmatic look at what critical educators can do to build alternative coalitions and policies that are more democratic. Apple urges this group to extricate itself from its reliance on the language of possibility in order to employ pragmatic analyses that address the material realities of social power.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Prolific author Apple (curriculum and instruction, education policy studies, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison) has recently been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Educational Research Association as well as a UCLA Medal for outstanding achievement in education. His latest assault on the political right targets many of the same conservative movements that he fired on in Official Knowledge: Democratic Education in a Conservative Age (Routledge, 1993. o.p.). Here he explains how and why right-wing groups have become so powerful in recent years, warning that U.S. public education is endangered by rightist thinking. Apple argues passionately against vouchers, national curricula, standardized testing, and other misguided notions of reform and contends that "authoritarian populist" proposals will exacerbate inequality in and among our schools. He urges readers to affirm a more democratic education system. Extensive notes and bibliographical references support his provocative arguments. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

If there is a book that marks the beginning of a new century, with its agonies of defeat and its utopian promises, this is the book. -- Carlos Alberto Torres, author of Democracy, Education, and Multiculturalism

No student of education can afford not to hear the story that Apple so ably tells. -- Jeannie Oakes, co-author of Because of the Kids: Facing Racial and Cultural Differences in Schools

In this book, Apple offers yet anopther closer look at the conservative trends that are having an impact on teachers, schools, and communities and offers powerful alternatives that provide both hope and purpose for those who feel the burden of the many issues that he criticall examines...This book is extremely valuable...Apple provides an eye-opening critique of the ways the new Right has successfully created alliances and has become increasingly influential in our public institutions. With the knowledge gained in this book. educators can be well informed and empowered to become agents of change.--Teachers College Record, May 07, 2007

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; First Edition, First Printing edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415924626
• ISBN-13: 978-0415924627
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,210,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solutions from Apple, December 16, 2005

By 

Steven Havick (Athens, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Educating the "Right" Way : Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality (Paperback)

I found this book most helpful in the way that Apple outlines and discusses some of the inherent contradictions of the current Right-wing coalition. That said, one of the critiques I see here from other reviewers is the same one that came up in a class where we all read this book: Apple does not offer solutions. I think there could certainly be a discussion about the extent to which his solutions are viable or are clearly articulated, but nevertheless, he DOES offer solutions.

As I read the final chapters I made note of implicit and explicit solutions that Apple does suggest to fight NCLB and other education policies that favor the Right-wing agenda. I think some are better than others. Here they are as I see them:

1) "Repostioning" -a solution that suggests policy makers should see reforms from the eyes of those most oppressed(p. 197)

2) A strong recognition that schools and schooling are a political battlefield (p. 198, 199)

3) Placing race at the fore of all educational reform discussions. He seems to divide it into two approaches. On p. 204 he says we, as a nation, need to confront the white supremecist sins of our past (e.g.Genocide against Native Americans and enslavement of Africans) and then on p. 207 we need to confront white privlege and to make "whiteness strange".

4)Do a better job publicizing good research that supports progressive notions, theories, and experiences about what good teaching is(p. 202).

5) In keeping with #4 above, he says that progressive leaders in ed reform need to do a better job with publicity. For instance, progressive academics like Apple can go on radio talk shows, write op-ed pieces, letters to editors of newspapers, Blog more, etc)

6) Find ways to connect educational efforts to local communities

(p.219). Apple does not elaborate or give us any examples regarding this idea.

7) Give marginalized voices a real voice in deliberations about ed. policy(p. 219). This might be what he meansby "repositioning"

but since he does not elaborate or give examples its hard to tell for sure.

8) Provide some space in schools for religion. I thought this one was interesting and showed some courage and willingness to compromise with the Christian Right. Of course, he stressed much caution in getting into bed with evangelicals (p. 221)

9) Exploit the inherent tensions and contradictions between the

four groups that make up the Right Coalition. One way to do this, according to Apple, is for progressive groups to form their own tactical alliances with groups they might not otherwise share interests with (p. 223)

10)Don't allow the Right to dominate discourse or planning

of charter schools. Apple recongnizes that charter schools aren't going anywhere so progressives must be active in building charter schools or they will be left out/behind. (p.226)

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting in Parts But Overly Biased, February 25, 2008

By 

CrimsonGirl "homeschooling mom" (S.F. Bay Area, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Educating the "Right" Way : Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality (Paperback)

I knew prior to reading "Educating the 'Right' Way" that Prof. Apple was a critic of homeschooling. He stereotypes homeschoolers as religious zealots who are racist, classist, patriarchal, overprotective, and as draining resources from government-run schools in a deliberate attempt to destroy them. He claims that public virtual charter schools allow their students to purchase sectarian materials with government money but provides no evidence to back up his assertion except for a "private correspondence". When I looked into enrolling my daughter in a charter program I was told in no uncertain terms that I would *NOT* be allowed to use *ANY* religious materials *EVEN* if I paid for them with my own money. So personally, I'm extremely skeptical about Prof. Apple's claim.

"Educating the 'Right' Way" is interesting in parts, particularly when Prof. Apple talks about the history of conservativism in America. However, I found his endless discussion of race, class, and gender to be very tedious. He seems to believe that the primary purpose of education is not to actually teach kids the academic skills they will need to succeed in life but rather to restructure society to end inequalities. Educrats like Prof. Apple are the reason why so many people like me have decided to flee the government-run school system!

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of facts, a sharp critique!, January 2, 2004

By 

"lagandin" (Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Educating the "Right" Way : Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality (Paperback)

In the last two decades we have been witnessing a wave of "reform" in education. The discourse behind these reforms is one that says that there is only one correct way of educating: the "Right" way. Michael Apple's book is extremely important because it maps out the efforts of the conservative modernization movement in converting their ideology in common sense and thus making their ideology the legitimate one, the one that makes sense. With a sophisticated theoretical framework and a plethora of concrete examples, Apple shows how the conservative reforms are in fact a struggle to constitute a particular view into official knowledge and to make other views of society not plausible. This is a book that will interest everyone who is involved in the field of education or social sciences.