Customer Reviews

The Parents' Guide to Alternatives in Education

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I came across this book at my local library while searching for info on Montessori education. It showed me so many wonderful ways of educating children that I would never have been aware of! It is a clear and concise overview of educational alternatives, with specific examples of schools or persons relating their experiences. It is a valuable tool for anyone looking to expand their knowledge or enhance their childrens education in a non-traditional way. It gave me some great ideas that I plan to take to my local public school administrators!

I picked this book up at my public library. I wanted an overview on education in America and the different philosophies on education. I started to xerox so many pages out of it, that I decided to buy it. I am a teacher and I remember my teaching classes (years ago)on different theories of education. When you are new to teaching, you have a view of what you want to do in the classroom, but little experience to see what works. Now, years later, I am able to reflect on my philosophy of education with more depth. This book gave me new ideas that I didn't know existed out there. I like many of these alternatives. The truth is that every student is different and we need a variety of methods to reach each one. I can tell that the author is a bit biased. He clearly prefers a few methods (who doesn't) , but I still appreciate his effort. The overview and structure of the book are well-done.

I found this detailed catalogue helpful in understanding what is available in education today. I recommend the book to parents leery of the secularism,"multiculturalism," the "psychologized classroom", and other educational hazards which are now the order of the day in government schools. Koetzche's book should help parents find schools that are compatible with their values. Koetzsch writes concise, 2-4 page discriptions of the major types of schools, both public and private, with the history, philosophy, and methods which constitute them. He tries to maintain neutrality, and most of the time he succeeds; but at times he seemed to be way too easy on so-called "progressive" education, presenting what its proponents say are the advantages, but not enough of what the critics say in rebuttal. At the same time, I could detect slight hints that he was less than enthusiastic about religious schools, but he gave them a pretty fair shake, nonetheless. Just take what he says with a grain of salt and go observe schools yourself. If you don't know what Montessori is all about, or Waldorf schools, or Friends schools, or Christian schools, or Catholic, or Foxfire, or Carden, but you want to become more informed, this is the book for you. He tells you where you can find out more information at the end of each description. He also tells about homeschooling, and has a chapter on how to start your own school.

If you have children and you care about the kind of education they receive, you absolutely MUST read this book - ideally before they ever start school. In a single volume it will give you a background into what traditional public education is all about, explain why it may not be your best choice, and introduce you to almost two dozen other options. Educational alternatives described in this book range from the well-known (Montessori, Waldorf, homeschooling...) to those you may have never heard of, such as Reggio Emilia, Carden, and Foxfire. It also includes descriptions of schooling options in half a dozen different religious denomimations. Every parent owes it to his/her children to read this book before the child begins school.

I found this detailed catalogue helpful in understanding what is available in education today. I recommend the book to parents leery of the secularism,"multiculturalism," the "psychologized classroom", and other educational hazards which are now the order of the day in government schools. Koetzche's book should help parents find schools that are compatible with their values. Koetzsch writes concise, 2-4 page discriptions of the major types of schools, both public and private, with the history, philosophy, and methods which constitute them. He tries to maintain neutrality, and most of the time he succeeds; but at times he seemed to be way too easy on so-called "progressive" education, presenting what its proponents say are the advantages, but not enough of what the critics say in rebuttal. At the same time, I could detect slight hints that he was less than enthusiastic about religious schools, but he gave them a pretty fair shake, nonetheless. Just take what he says with a grain of salt and go observe schools yourself. If you don't know what Montessori is all about, or Waldorf schools, or Friends schools, or Christian schools, or Catholic, or Foxfire, or Carden, but you want to become more informed, this is the book for you. He tells you where you can find out more information at the end of each description. He also tells about homeschooling, and has a chapter on how to start your own school.

I found the resource extremely helpful to understand the many private school choices in our area. It put an independent spin on educational philosphies and approaches that are available today.

I have used this book many times in my education and have found that it provides a great overview on alternatives to education. My favorite!