The Politics of American Education (Sociocultural, Political, and Historical Studies in Education)

I've never written a review for a book, but here goes! The Politics of American Education is the main textbook for my online Political Science Class. Spring's book reads more like a commentary on the condition of American Politics. While it is factual, it's not a typical textbook. It doesn't just give facts, dates, and definitions, but dives deep into the back-story of politics. At times, I really don't want to read it just because it makes me angry at what has/is happening in our country. Sometimes, I feel as if Spring has written a personal rant against the machine that is American politics.

I purchased this book as a textbook for a college class. As a textbook, I expect the content to be fairly academic and evenhanded. I do not expect partisan politics in a textbook, even if it is a book about political science. The first eight chapters of this book were quite informative and I was really enjoying it (although some of my classmates were finding it difficult). It contained many points of view, which is exactly what I would anticipate and desire.THEN I GOT TO CHAPTER 9, where Mr. Spring makes a proposal to add an educational amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing a free, 100% government financed education. The first four points in his amendment were a very interesting concept – completely unfeasible from a financial standpoint but conceptually interesting. Unfortunately, Mr. Spring did not stop there. He then added additional points that wandered smack dab into Teabag land. He advocates: “The right to a secular or religious education financed by the government. The right of parents to choose a government-financed school based on their philosophical convictions and cultural values and the right for their [the parents] philosophical convictions and/or cultural values to be reflected in the content and methods of instruction.” Oh my.While I appreciate the fact the Joel Spring is an out-of-the-box thinker and there is a place for that in any conversation, I do not recommend this book if you are looking for a rational, academic, non-biased look at the politics of American education. And if you are forced to buy this book as part of your classroom curriculum, be warned.

Got this book for class, it's great if you're not from America and want to learn more about it's school system.

I love how this book presents concepts and then explains them very well.

Excellent materials from a stellar writer who understand the politics of education in a succinct manner.This is a must read for educators. I think the electronic edition should be 30% cheaper than the hard or softcover.

This book provides an excellent basic review of the politics in education. It was easy to understand and I liked how terms were defined.

Thank you, Great Product and Seller

Helpful book.