Some subscribers to Phys-L might be interested in a post "Open Access
to Chapter 10 of Glass's 'The Fate of Public Education in America'
#2" [Hake (2010)]. The abstract reads:
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ABSTRACT: Chapter 10 "The Fate of Public Education in America" of
Gene Glass's <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_V._Glass>" book
"Fertilizers, Pills & Magnetic Strips: The Fate of Public Education
in America" [Glass (2008)] is available free online at
<http://infoagepub.com/glass-chapter-10>, thanks to its publisher,
Information Age Publishing (IAP).
Among the testimonials at the IAP site <http://tinyurl.com/23n2dg9>
is one by G. E. Hein, emeritus, Lesley University, who wrote: "Glass
argues, following Diamond's 'Guns, Germs, and Steel', that
'significant inventions in the 20th century ... fertilizers
(agricultural technologies, pills (medical technologies), and
magnetic strips (nonmoney based credit systems)', have influenced
educational policy to the extent that 'no longer is the assumption
made ... that our nation must have a universal system of free public
education.' 'Older, White Americans entering their retirement years
with diminished assets' will increasingly 'be asked to support
schools that will be serving a younger, browner clientele,' he states.
In his longest chapter, Glass documents how current reform efforts
(i.e., vouchers, charter schools, and tuition tax credits)
systematically discriminate against minorities, while US schools are
more segregated than before Brown v. Board of Education. He also
challenges the view that schools are 'failing,' and summarizes
critiques of high-stakes, standardized testing. Glass's historical
perspective and his review of evidence supporting his position are
impressive. He rejects simple solutions to public education's endemic
problems, but hopes that in the long run Americans' love of justice
will prevail over the selfish interests of the graying, currently
dominant majority."
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I should point out that there are a few missing words in the free
download at <http://infoagepub.com/glass-chapter-10>. About
one-quarter of the way down there is a paragraph that begins:
"Assertions about the state of education in America are pre- . . . .
. [[MISSING WORDS]]. . . . Several things could deflect or reverse
these trends: . . . . ."
Gene Glass tells me that the paragraph should begin:
"Assertions about the state of education in America are predictions
or else they are historical facts of no significance whatsoever. No
long-term predictions are being made here. Several things could
deflect or reverse these trends: . . . . ."
Hake, R.R. 2010. "Open Access to Chapter 10 of Glass's 'The Fate of
Public Education in America' #2" online on the OPEN AERA-L archives
at <http://tinyurl.com/35qvc2l>. Post of 11 Jun 2010 15:05:01-0700 to
AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and URL are being transmitted to
various discussion lists and are also online at
<http://hakesedstuff.blogspot.com/2010/06/open-access-to-chapter-10-of-glasss.html>
with a provision for comments.