Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I will be upfront and say that I listen to Glenn Beck when I get the chance. I am a former teacher and strong advocate against Common Core and have read many books and material about the history of education, and education reform and have a deep understanding of these issues. I also taught for 16 years before deciding to stay home with my toddler son to homeschool him. The first third of the book talks about the ills of the teacher union, tenure, and the other horrible things that teachers do that are wrong. Beck must not have had a discussion with a teacher that really cared about children and was very effective at what she did. As a teacher, I was not able to be effective because of the administration above me. The vice principals, principals, area superintendents, superintendents, and other central office administrators who made the decisions on what I could and could not do. Sadly in the 16 years that I taught the principal who was a teacher the longest was only in the classroom for 8 years. Most were only in the classroom for 4-6 years. I had two superintendents with no education experience who took orders from the city's mayor and several principals and superintendents who were gym teachers by trade and never taught a child how to read and would not have a clue how to approach it they were forced to have to complete such an exercise. By page 50, he's gushing over Teach for America teachers. A program that I know well, because of having the opportunity to work with teachers in the program and knowing several first hand. Teach for America teachers have a 2 year commitment. They have a few week training in the summer before they are sent to their assignment. Often what they are teaching is not close to what they majored in. For example, I know first hand of a drama major who taught middle school science. I wonder if Beck would want such a teacher for his children, The Marxist factories (colleges) that Beck refers to influence TFA teachers just as much as a teacher who goes through traditional certification, but I guess he wasn't able to put those dots together. Maybe Beck needed to do more research for his book as Stanford and Pearson have a new way to certification edTPA. This will have the same exact results as the medical licensing he discusses-it will drive up costs. Or that Bill Gates financially supports TFA. The part of the book that is actually about Common Core is mediocre at best. 'He glosses over important players in the Common Core game not giving their full background. A clear picture of how we got to Common Core will not be gotten from Conform and neither will a clear picture of what Common Core is. His ideas for reform are similar to Bill Gates. Charters, Choice, TFA teachers, and merit pay. All laughable, as they only offer more issues in education. Real education of children will only happen with local schools being controled with local dollars and local elections, and little if any state and no federal funds involved. If you are wanting to understand education reform and common core go and buy a different book. Conform simply does not the cut the mustard for improving education or making education better. It doesn't even connect the dots the way this former Beck fan is used to him doing.