Customer Reviews

The Obama Education Plan: An Education Week Guide

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Well, since all the articles are taken from Education Week (and the book is authored by Education Week and called "An Education Week Guide"), I kind of doubt that any of the journalists or columnists paid to have their views put into it. And the Obama Education Plan (which I read on his campaign website) is actually only about 10 pages long. So I'm not sure what the previous reviewer here was expecting. Education Week is a respected magazine in the education world. Some of the names here, like Linda Darling-Hammond, may be controversial but are certainly well-known and forces to reckon with. I thought the various views in the articles were interesting and made for healthy debate -- some had specific examples and plans in mind, some had success stories, some had mostly opinion. I'd say if you are interested in the new administration's stated plan for education's future in the United States and in looking at the thoughts of well-known educators on those topics, give it a read.

This book provides great real-life background on the points in President Obama's education plan, with commentary from some of the most important voices in education. A very informative read.

President Barack Obama has impacted the American political scene with an agenda-changing effect rarely equaled in the 200 year history of that office. One of the major social issue areas that are to be the cornerstone of his administration is education reform. Compiled by 'Education Week' and published by Jossey-Bass, "The Obama Education Plan: An Education Week Guide" will prove an indispensable aid to understanding what the Obama administration seeks to accomplish as it lays out 'The Obama-Biden Plan', offers insightful perspectives on key educational issues on the national and state levels, incorporates illustrative stories of innovative practices, includes sage advice from education leaders (some of whom are sources for the Obama Administration's education policy reforms), and features sage commentary on the issues relevant to educational reforms, accountability, resource enhancements, and goal setting. "The Obama Education Plan" is highly recommended for academics, governmental policy makers, school administrators, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in educational issues in general, and the Obama Administration's approach to them in particular.

I ordered this book shortly after President Obama took office. I was so excited to read about his education plan because I was in the process of changing my profession to become an educator. In my opinion, this book didn't accurately portray President Obama's Education plan. The jargon was hard to digest. I am all for his plan, but am searching for a better medium in which to learn about it.

If you picked up this book hoping to gain some insight into Obama's plans for education and how others feel about those plans don't even bother. This book reads like a political soundbit and is just a soapbox for a myriad of people and organizations who probably paid to have thier articles in here. This book gives maybe ten pages total on what Obama's plans actually are. And none of these explanations are clear or fleshed out. Like many of the articles in this book, they just say which aspect of education is flawed and that it needs to be fixed without actually explaining how to go about it. And the last chapter of the book is supposed to be advice for the new president...but none of it is coherent or sensible. Instead, each person that is included is given a paragraph or so in which to tout their particular issue whether it be with assessment, special education, testing, affordability, etc. If you are completely unaware of the general issues facing children and educators in this country, then by all means, pick up this book, learn a little something about it. If however you are looking for something more substantial and some actual dialogue about what needs to happen and what our new President intends to do then don't even bother. As is the case with most politicians they say pretty things but probe beneath the surface and you'll find that that is all it is: pretty fluff.