| Reviews
This latest review was written by David Kirkpatrick who is well known in educational circles for his book titled Choice in Schooling (A Case for Tuition Vouchers) Mr. Kirkpatrick believes, as I do, that "...at last [the public education system] is being bypassed by charter schools, tuition tax credits, home schooling, cyber schools, vouchers, and other alternatives that may be forthcoming."
By David W. Kirkpatrick
Sr. Ed. Fellow, U.S. Freedom Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Sr. Fellow in Ed. Policy, The Buckeye Institute, Columbus, Ohio
The Public Education Nightmare
The idea of a general public school system began to emerge in the United States with the passage of the Common School Act of 1834 in Pennsylvania. Rarely noted today is how strenuous was the opposition. Most of the legislators who voted for the law were defeated for reelection yet the bill was not repealed. Despite continuing controversy, the original idea has been expanded and strengthened resulting in today's attempt at an all-encompassing government school monopoly.
In fact, criticism and objection to government owned and operated schools has not only been perpetual it precedes the 1834 legislation and the existence of the United States itself. Nearly 2,000 years ago Marcus Aurelius (121-180 A.D.) wrote that "I have to thank my great-grandfather that I did not go to a public school, but had good masters at home..."
In the 1960s and 1970s an encouraging sign for reform was the appearance of criticism from public school teachers themselves. Books by such educators as George Dennison, James Herndon, John Holt and Jonathan Kozol not only began to appear but many sold well enough to attract general attention. Yet, little change resulted.
Today some teachers still speak out. Jonathan Kozol still periodically presents another offering although, sadly, his remedy generally conforms to the establishment plea for more money. An exception is the outspoken John Taylor Gatto, multiple winner of Teacher of the Year Awards for New York City and New York State. He knows whereof he speaks and neither defends the system nor advocates so-called reforms that are merely more of the same.
To the list of such knowledgeable critics may now be added Renato Nicolai, author of "The Nightmare That Is Public Education," subtitled "An Expose of What Really Happens in Public Schools." "(T)his is the personal view of an educator whose eyes and ears have seen and heard what really happens in public schools over a career spanning nearly forty years." He adds, "The reporting of my experiences, I hope, will disclose the shocking disservice many schools are perpetrating upon young people."
He does not base his conclusions on just his own experience, as extensive as that is. He has also "talked to over a thousand teachers about teaching methods and educational philosophy and seen hundreds of them actually teach."
While his "major emphasis is to tell you the way it is, the opportunity was also present...to tell you the way it could be." His concludes that the public school system is "ineffective, poorly administered, and broken."
While writing for a general audience, he particularly aims for parents whom he believes "possess the least knowledge of what actually goes on in public schools," and teachers "because...they are the persons, more than any others in the schools who desperately need to improve their performance and change their attitudes."
In a few instances even his criticism falls short. For example, he writes that nearly 2,500 students drop out of high school each month throughout the United States. That's 25,000 in a school year. In fact, estimates are that 700,000 students drop out annually.
Similarly he speaks of a teacher facing up to thirty-five students in each of three classes. Maybe that's true somewhere but in the high school where I taught for many years while teachers typically did have up to 35 students per class, they were in five or six classes per day. Not only was that 175-200 students per day, rather than about 100, but we might have two or more preparations daily where all classes were not for the same subject.
But those are quibbles. His conclusions are not. He says that if you think your local public schools, especially middle school and above, are as good as you've been told, you're probably wrong. He argues that "incompetence and mediocrity haunt America's public education system. Teachers waste valuable classroom instructional time every day with ineffective teaching methods and inadequate knowledge of subject matter..our public schools are broken."
While his conclusions are severe his rhetoric generally is not. He praises those who succeed despite all odds, and offers suggestions for improvement. Judging by history, the odds for real improvement within the system are slim to none.
This review was written by Alan Caruba. Mr. Caruba is editor of Bookviews.com, and a notable author and commentator about educational, political, economic, and culture issues facing our nation. I recommend you read his articles. On your computer, access The National Anxiety Center, Warning Signs, and bookviews.com.
The Nightmare We Call Our Schools
By Alan Caruba Sunday, May 18, 2008
A friend of mine recently wrote to me saying, “My wife is retiring in June after thirty years of teaching. A high school degree means nothing. No Child Left Behind is an even bigger joke. It is a scary situation that could lead us to third world status, but we are prepared for that since we already teach English as a second language.”
I remember my Father, the son of Italian immigrants, telling me how, when he entered kindergartenin the early years of the last century, the teacher paired him with a boy who spoke both English and Italian. That was how he learned to speak English. He was not considered special, the school was full of immigrant’s children and they were expected to pick up English as best they could and as fast as they could. Later, my Father worked his way through New York University and became the youngest person at the time to pass the exam to become a Certified Public Account.
The difference between my Father’s era—and mine at mid-century—and the children in today’s schools is that there were subjects we were expected to master and grades reflected actual achievement.
Today’s schools reflect the opening quotefrom a friend of mine, a fellow with a master’s degree in education who tried his hand at teaching and discovered that his school was a jungle of incompetent teachers, indifferent administrators, and a majority of students for whom the expectation of good behavior and a dedication to learning was laughable. And his school was every public school.
That explains why Dr. Renato C. Nicolai, Ed.D, with forty years of teaching elementary and middle school as well as being an administrator in Californiaschools, sat down and wrote “The Nightmare That is Public Education: An Expose of What Really Happens in Public Schools” ($17.95, iUniverse). I recommend this book to parents so that the blinders can fall from their eyes and especially to teachers who still have a desire to actually teach.
“I believe teachers and principals work in school systems throughout the United States that are ineffective, poorly administered, and broken,” says Dr. Nicholai. He cited six “myths” the public is spoon-fed to keep them in the dark.
The Money Myth—“Schools perform poorly because they need more money.”
The Special Ed Myth—“Special education programs burden public schools, hindering their academic performance.”
The Myth of Helplessness—“Social problems like poverty cause students to fail; schools are helpless to prevent it.”
The Class Size Myth—“Schools should reduce class sizes; small classes would produce big improvements.”
The Certification Myth—“Certified or more experienced teachers are substantially more effective.”
The Teacher Pay Myth—“Teachers are badly underpaid.”
Politically conservative parents have an even greater problem with today’s schools that are totally in the grip of unions with a demonstrative leftist agenda. “The terms multiculturalism, modernism, diversity, secular humanism, individual self-expression, moral relativism, and political correctness identify the secular-progressive,” writes Dr. Nicholai.
“When these terms are discussed with praise and commitment, you know you’re on the trail of persons who believe that traditional values, rights, and responsibilities are old-fashioned and out of step with modern thought.”
“Public schools are havens for liberal thought and practice. Secondary teachers are generally far left, left, or left-leaning.” The greatest complaint of parents with children in today’s school is that they are factories for indoctrination of values that run contrary to their own “old-fashioned” views.
It is doubtful still that parents have any idea how bad the situation is in their local schools, even if their children attend those in prosperous suburbs. Dr. Nicholai simply says they have been hoodwinked. Everyone participates from the students to the teachers to the administrators.
“Actually, at most public high schools, chaos is just under the surface of the daily routine, with cops on campus and administrators supervising before and after school, during passing periods, and at lunches and recesses, with walkie-talkies and cell phones.”
Not exactly the description of a serene, safe environment in which to learn or teach anything.
We as a nation have known about this as far back as 1983 when the National Commission on Excellence in Education issued its report, “A Nation at Risk.” Here we are, twenty-five years later, and the situation is infinitely worse. At a current average cost of $9,200 per student, an increase of 69% over 1980 per-pupil spending, taxpayers are spending more and getting worse results.
This review was written by D. K. Venable. Ms Venable writes for conservative publications. Her web site is http://www.debv.com
Book Review For Nightmare
Deborah Venable
05/05/08
The Nightmare That Is Public Education is the indictment brought by the most credible of accusers – Dr. Renato C. Nicolai, ED.D, in his new book by the same name. Subtitled, An Expose of What Really Happens In Public Education, (publisher iUniverse, Inc.) the book is an in-depth study of the system, as it exists, with suggestions of how it should exist all along the way.
Dr. Nicolai brings the unquestionable credibility of 38 years experience working from inside the public education system as both a teacher and a principal – not to mention various positions throughout the system as counselor, advisor, negotiator, and teacher training expert. His analysis of what makes a good teacher is spot on if you know anything at all about the profession or care anything at all about the education of children.
While I do not know Dr. Nicolai personally, I have known examples of every teacher he describes, and I was married for over thirty-seven years to an example he calls, “Excellent” so reading this text did not introduce me to “new ground” or unimagined revelations.
His mastery of the English language shines as he relates his personal observations and opinions about the reality of our public education system, but this is not an easy text to read. Dr. Nicolai moves seamlessly between anecdotal language and “educationese,” professional terminology for the language of educators, to an extent that probably he doesn’t even recognize. He is by no means condescending to his audience, but I am sure that many might well perceive him in that fashion. (This can be considered my own personal indictment of “many” readers who will pick up this book with the intention of being somewhat entertained or sophomorically informed.)
This book has been needed for decades. That is the bottom line. Going into any of the specifics of the information contained in it here in this review could not prove that statement to a greater extent than this: the importance of enthusiasm in teaching, the necessity of competition throughout any system of learning, and the absolute dedication to seeking and living the truth, for students and educators alike, are the seeds painstakingly planted by the author.
Every parent, teacher, and citizen concerned for the future of America’s generations should take the simple initiative of reading The Nightmare That Is Public Education. Thank you, Dr. Nicolai, for writing it!
This review was written by Deb Shunamon of Reader Views ofAustin, Texas. See their web site at http://www.readerviews.com/.
The Nightmare That Is Public Education: An Expose of What Really Happens in Public Schools
Renato C. Nicolai, Ed.D.
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595436149
Anyone who is the least bit involved with their children’s schooling will have some idea, and opinion, of how well the U.S. public education system is working. An educator with many years of experience in both the classroom and as an administrator, Dr. Renato Nicolai discusses why he feels public schools are failing to adequately educate American students, and what educators and parents must do to ensure that public education remains effective and relevant.
Dr. Nicolai does applaud the few dedicated teachers, politicians, and parents who are truly committed to, and are actively providing, an excellent education for students in the public system, but there is sure to be a lot of heated discussion because of his reasons as to why the majority are failing. One emphasized reason is the incompetence of teachers. Dr. Nicolai refers back to teacher education curricula and speaks to the absence, or low quality, of the basics in classrooms and schools today. From poor physical environments and classroom management, to inadequate discipline, relaxed attitudes towards dress requirements, and low expectations, he feels that it is America’s swing alarmingly toward a liberal, permissive, almost-anything-goes bias (p.143), that is undermining the effectiveness of committed teachers, preventing students from learning, and is negatively affecting the entire country by encouraging disrespect and incompetence.
Dr. Nicolai uses a lot of alarming vocabulary to express his forceful opinions on the declining state of the American public education system, but also supplies quotes and a research bibliography to add support to his views. Agree with him or not, Dr. Renato Nicolai’s “The Nightmare That Is Public Education” will most certainly get its readers thinking, talking, and most importantly from his standpoint, taking action.
This interview was written by David Deschesne and appeared in The Fort Fairfield Review
Former Public School Teacher Reveals the “Nightmare That is Public Education”
By: David Deschesne
Dr. Renato C. Nicolai, Ed.D, who prefers to be addressed as “Dr. Nick,” is a retired school teacher and principal with thirty-eight years of experience in the California public school system. He has taught 6th through 12th grade and was both an elementary and middle school principal during his career.
Dr. Nick has recently published a book entitled The Nightmare That is Public Education (2007 iUniverse) which exposes the alarming deficiencies in today’s public school system from his own perspective within that system.
“Public education is a nightmare,” exclaims Dr. Nick. “Incompetence and mediocrity haunt public middle schools, junior high schools and high schools. Teachers waste valuable classroom instructional time every day, and their teaching methods are grossly ineffective. Knowledge of subject matter is alarmingly inadequate. Parents don’t really know what happens in public school classrooms. They have been hoodwinked by educators to believe that their children are receiving a good education, but they aren’t as substantiated by international assessments.”
He does, however, credit the many hard-working teachers who truly do love their job and teach effectively within a system designed to discourage them.
Chapters 1 through 6 of Nightmare highlight problems extant in public schools across the country, then Dr. Nick offers practical, common sense solutions every teacher should become familiar with.
Most college teaching courses don’t train teachers how to teach, merely what to teach. This book functions as a textbook for teaching and is a must-read for anyone considering a career as a teacher, as well as those already in the field.
Dr. Nick starts off by describing the sense of mediocrity in the higher grades compared to lower grades. “Public school elementary teachers, especially those who teach kindergarten through 5th grade, are, by far, better teachers than their counterparts at the middle school, junior high school, and high school,” writes Dr. Nick in his opening chapter. “The reason is they possess the qualities associated with an excellent teacher to a greater degree than their upper-grade colleagues.”
He describes how teachers in upper grades have fallen into a rut where they merely “dispense” information, rather than enthusiastically teach it. Also, lower grading thresholds and secular-progressive ideologies allow students a “passing” grade who otherwise may not have earned it.
Social engineering by a predominantly left-leaning teacher pool is highlighted in Chapter 7, where he states; “Public schools are havens for liberal thought and practice. Secondary teachers are generally far left, left, or left-leaning. So, although they don’t openly teach [their] ideas, they use their influence and the subjects they teach to promote a good feeling toward these points of view. In other words, many teachers, especially at the high school level, are biased toward the secular-progressive way of thinking and express their feelings and opinions in their teaching.”
He describes the tactics; “In English, history, science, math, music, art, and other subjects, teachers easily show their bias toward many of these concepts in subtle yet effective ways. In English, for example, teachers at every grade level use sentences to demonstrate correct syntax and to teach vocabulary. Sometimes these sentences come from textbooks and other teaching materials, but many times they are composed by the teacher in advance of the lesson or extemporaneously during the course of the class. Writing impromptu sentences like these and preparing example sentences in advance offer the teacher of English the opportunity to slant the content of the sentences toward the secular-progressive point of view during the course of teaching.” (op cit., p. 157)
Dr. Nick also describes how History and Social Studies teachers can easily skew the curriculum to favor their point of view and how Science and Biology teachers may favor their ideologies by spending more time on a discussion of the theory of evolution over Creationism.
He warns us that students may not be able to resist this advanced form of brainwashing, “In a very real sense, teachers at the 6th through 12th grades teach to a captive audience, and this audience is composed of children whose ages range from eleven to eighteen. Most of these children are susceptible to the ideas presented by teachers and don’t possess the knowledge, experience, and sophistication to know better or challenge an idea which is totally biased or opinionated. Even those students who recognize the inappropriateness of a topic, and the fact that the teacher is expounding on it from a subjective point of view, will think twice before challenging the idea or the teacher.” (op cit. pp. 144-145)
The latter part of the book covers the “nightmares” of public education and attributes it to the entrenched teacher’s unions and their feelings of invincibility.
Dr. Nick shows how so-called “In Service Days” are for the most part, a complete waste of time and how teacher evaluations are rendered ineffective due to the tradition of not criticizing “professionals” within public schools.
While it has a negative title, the overall theme of the book is positive and is nearly seventy-five percent is solution-based.
Drawing from his years of experience as a teacher and principal, Dr. Nick offers practical, common sense solutions to a whole host of problems teachers encounter with their students and school administration on a daily basis. He even has a chapter written for the substitute teacher, as well.
While he taught for many years at public schools, Dr. Nick received a Catholic, parochial education from kindergarten through college, where he attended the University of San Francisco. “Although I never attended a public school, I gave nearly forty years of service to public school children and parents. This is what I wanted to do. I felt called to teach as a vocation. I never even considered making money for the sake of money - never did, never will. I really wanted to help kids learn.
The Nightmare That is Public Education is available at www.iuniverse.com, www.amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Borders and all major and independent book stores. This book is a must-read for parents, teachers and school administrators if they care to identify the inadequacies of teachers in public school and wish to work toward viable solutions.
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