Troublemaker: A Personal History of School Reform since Sputnik (Hardcover)

~ Chester E. Finn Jr. (Author) "Before World War II, education in the United States was far from universal, and "equality of opportunity" was unimagined..." (more)
Key Phrases: minority youngsters, excellence movement, White House, Education Department, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

I love the fact that no one is spared [Finn's] acidic sense of humor. That makes him a first-class writer, and Troublemaker may be the best of his many books...The book offers one of the most enjoyable, astute and fair-minded reviews of the topsy-turvy course of our national effort to improve schools. It flavors that complex tale with the story of Checker Finn, a smart kid from Dayton, Ohio, who wisely attached himself to some of the most thoughtful political figures of his era and brought their practical approach to fixing schools to a new generation... These stories will not make Finn any less unpopular with people on both sides of our often bitter educational debates, but I wish we had more thinkers as aggravating and insightful as he is. All of us can learn much from him, and his book.
(Jay Mathews Washington Post )

A lively and wise new memoir...Should be required reading for charter school leaders and left-wing teacher unionists alike. A 'personal history' of the last five decades of public schooling, Mr. Finn's memoir weaves America's story with his own...Mr. Finn's conclusions have the unpopular characteristic of adhering neither to one side nor to the other. Yes to vouchers, he says, as long as voucher schools have high quality; yes to business involvement, as long as it does not abandon sound instructional knowledge and the imperative of a civic mission; yes to standards, but only if they are rigorous. These are not sexy answers, but they are thoughtful ones, and for the field of education, that is quite the right medicine.
(Elizabeth Green New York Sun )

A blow-by-blow account of Checker's efforts to improve American schooling...Finn approaches education with [a] sense of personal dedication, but the book is neither wistful nor weary. Troublemaker displays the energy and combativeness of a man who knows a good education can solve problems and improve lives.
(Phil Brand Washington Times )

A very readable rundown of the past four decades of education policymaking by a man who was there.
(Neil McCluskey School Reform News )

Having meticulously and fair-mindedly detailed four decades of 'staggering inertia' in American educational policy, Finn nevertheless tries to end on an upbeat note.
(Commentary )

Chester Finn's book is an indispensable guide and an inspiring portrait of what individuals and groups with common sense, civic commitment, and perseverance can accomplish in realizing the battered but noble promise of modern education--but also a sobering picture of what they are up against.
(M. D. Aeschliman Modern Age )

Review

An informative, feisty new book about education. You'll love it or hate it; Finn is never dull.
(Theodore R. Sizer, former dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; 1 edition (February 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691129908
• ISBN-13: 978-0691129907
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #583,222 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best education book in ages, February 19, 2008

By	School Maven (OR USA) - See all my reviews

This is much the best education book I've read in ages, a delightful blend of history, autobiography, humor and policy talk. Though often called a conservative, the author turns out to be more of a radical, a family man, a goodhearted (and sometimes frustrated) father and grandfather, and a genuine human being. He has penned a balanced, thoroughly readable (and sometimes laugh-out-loud amusing)account of major developments in American primary-secondary education over the past half century or so, intertwined with his own life and work in this field. You won't encounter a clearer recounting of U.S. school reform efforts--or a more enjoyable book on the subject.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overly Bullish on American Education, June 13, 2008

By	Loyd E. Eskildson "Pragmatist" (Phoenix, AZ.) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Troublemaker" tells the story of Chester Finn's journey through American education - from young student to teacher, from graduate student to professor, from one reform position he held to another, and through the sometimes frustrating process of attempting to obtain the best education for his children and grand-children. At the same time, "Troublemaker" is also primarily a recounting of the never-ending efforts at reforming (improving?) public education.

Early in the book Finn briefly recounts the 1966 Coleman Report findings - that student achievement varied as much within schools as between, and that school differences were far less consequential than people had long assumed. This news came shortly after SAT scores peaked in 1964. Nonetheless, Americans in ever-increasing numbers believe that "more money" for schools can solve our lagging international pupil achievement problem - eg. the 6/13/08 "USAToday" reports 32% in 1965 believed schools needed more money, vs. 57% today.

Between those years we have heralded the implementation of bilingual education, gender equality in college sports, affirmative action, busing, special education, equity of funding, increased teacher union membership and militancy (attain improved salaries, protection from urban community conflicts), school choice and vouchers, a federal Department of Education, multiculturalism, ethnic and gender studies, child-centered learning, "professionalism" of teachers (putting them in charge, vs. elected officials), values-free education, back to basics, core-knowledge curriculum (knowledge builds upon knowledge), high-stakes testing manipulation of tests, phonics vs. whole language, thinking mathematically vs. accurate methodology and results, a more than doubling of per-pupil inflation-adjusted spending, "No Child Left Behind," etc. Meanwhile, 17-year-old NAEP pupil achievement scores have remained virtually unchanged, and we still lag most other developed nations.

The good news is that a few stars have shown brightly during this period - eg. Community School District #4 in New York City, Prince George's County Schools in Maryland, Jaime Escalante in L.A., and the Houston public schools under Dr. Paige. Mr. Escalante became frustrated with roadblocks and opposition, and quit, Houston's achievements turned out to be largely fraudulent, and the innovators at Community School District #4 and Prince George's County have mvoed on and faded from the memory of most. Nonetheless, Dr. Finn remains bullish.

"Troublemaker" would benefit considerably if Dr. Finn had also addressed the transitory nature of these successes, the resiliency of the status quo, as well as the generally poor quality of education research (lack of proper statistical controls, confusing operational with statistical significance), and the system's failure to sustain improvements - eg. Head Start, earlier grade-level improvements.

Finally, Dr. Finn shortchanges Coleman's findings and fails to adequately address the potential for pupil achievement via increased parental and pupil motivation. The continued examples of "over-achieving" Asian and Jewish pupils within the U.S. are not to be ignored. They mirror the "secrets" of Asian households revealed by Dr. Stevenson at the U. of Michigan and hold the secret for widespread significant and sustained improvement in America.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Educator's Perspective, July 13, 2009

By	Louis Manzella "Dr. Lou" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a remarkable book, not only for it's history of educational reform, but for it's insider perspective of the interplay of politics and culture on education. As an educator who attended school through the '50's and '60's and taught school beginning in the 70's, this book represents a "living history" that parallels what I, and many others, were doing "in the trenches."