Choosing Excellence: Good Enough Schools Are Not Good Enough (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This outstanding assessment of the current state of the nation's schools is the culmination of Merrow's 25 years as an education reporter. Based on "School Sleuth: The Case of an Excellent School," a program for his PBS series The Merrow Report (which also airs on NPR), this book explores "good enough" schools, the ones that "most people settle for: schools everyone wants to believe are okay even though, deep down, they know better." Merrow aims here to help parents and others who are "determined to push and pull the system beyond `good enough.'" To that end, he examines various aspects of schooling from testing and homework to safety, values and technology drawing on years of school visits and interviews. Merrow weighs in on the current infatuation with "machine-scored" tests; teacher burnout ("we train teachers poorly and then treat them badly and so they leave in droves") and how it can be prevented; charter schools ("buyer beware"); the explosive growth of ADD ("a dubious diagnosis"); bloated administrative bureaucracy and much more. Writing lucidly throughout, he keeps his primary audience parents clearly in mind, offering, at the end of each chapter, helpful checklists for evaluating prospective schools (e.g., "Are papers marked up with thoughtful comments?"; "How serious is the school about art and music programs?"). Practical, forthright and engaging, Merrow's book should be required reading for every parent of a school-age child and for anyone who wants to see public education move beyond "good enough." (Apr.)Forecast: Since most children in America attend "good enough" schools, this book's potential market is enormous, and the author's high profile will help.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

No pre-service teacher should consider his or her professional education complete if it does not include regular viewings of The Merrow Report the documentary series now airing on PBS and National Public Radio. Building on research completed for a recent episode of that series, Merrow here provides a thoughtful discussion of "excellence in education." While highlighting issues of current concern, e.g., high-stakes testing, safe schools, and the place of technology in the curriculum, the author also provides an overview of the "best practices" in education. He shows the reader how to ask substantive questions about any school with which he or she might become involved (whether as a student, teacher, parent, or community member). Drawing on his writing skills, his experience as a teacher and reporter, and his familiarity with leading scholars and practitioners in the field, Merrow has crafted a volume containing lessons that can be put to good use by virtually anyone interested in our schools. Highly recommended for all libraries. Scott Walter Head, Washington State Univ. Lib., Pullman
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: The Scarecrow Press (April 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578860148
• ISBN-13: 978-1578860142
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,562,498 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Choosing Excellence, May 15, 2001

By A Customer

I found this book thoughtful and engaging. I can't imagine any family concerned with the education of their child not buying this book. It is a must. Besides being a useful tool in evaluating a school, this book is a valuable collection of Mr. Merrow's experiences in his extensive career of covering the field of education.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must reading for administrators, parents, and educators, May 10, 2001

By	sam sochet (New York) - See all my reviews

Not everyone involved in education is going to enjoy reading this book. This is primarily because there are books that happen to hit too close to home. Choosing Excellence is basically an indictment of teaching kids merely for the sake of performing on mandated exams rather than educating our young citizenry so they can become contributing members of an evolving democracy. In today's preoccupation with improving educational standards, Merrow believes we have missed the boat, or rather, chosen the wrong boat. Instead of improving the way we teach, we test, which, although is economically easier to justify, leads to a shoddy version of a true, growth-oriented education. The problem is, he contends, is that we end up no better than we were before, and even worse because we delude ourselves into thinking that we are making changes to help the kids. He also believes that most of our country's schools fall into the "good enough" rather than the "excellent" category of schools. The ironic aspect is that "good enough" doesn't really mean good at all, but tends to be mediocre at best. Written in a crisp and convincing journalistic style, this book is recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An "excellent" choice for anyone who cares about schools, May 25, 2001

By A Customer

John Merrow's book is a thoughtful and well-informed guide to finding excellence in public education. It is both an insightful look at what constitutes excellence and a great "how to" book for parents who are trying to choose schools for their kids (I especially like "questions to ask" at the end of each chapter). Best of all, while critical throughout, Merrow remains hopeful that public education can be excellent and offers real solutions for some of the most pressing problems in education today.