Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie to Parents and Betray Our Children

by Joel Turtel

Book Overview

The Scary Facts Every Parent Ought to Know (But Most Don't) About Public Schools Why are public schools so bad? How do we fix them? Wrong question, says education policy analyst Joel Turtel - who... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0964569329
• ISBN13: 9780964569324
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Liberty Books
• Length: 387 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

One of the most important books that I have read in a while

In this wonderfully fascinating book, author Joel Turtel examines the modern American school system, and finds out just why it is the failure that it is - annually producing graduates that perform below world standards. Moving through the many flaws in the system, the author shows that the system isn't just flawed, it is broken. The system works against the children it is meant to serve, and against the parents who wish to be involved in their children's education. And, all the while it seeks to cover its own dismal failings. But, this is not just another book throwing bricks at the obviously flunking educational system. Instead, the author ends the book with a section on how parents can work to give their children a quality education, in ways that are both education-effective and cost-effective. Overall, I think that this is one of the most important books that I have read in a while. It is a damning expose of the American educational establishment, and an excellent clarion call to parents to take their children's education into their own hands. I think that this is a very important book, one that should be read by every parent.

An eye-opening look at the pitiful reality of our public school system

In Public Schools, Public Menace, author Joel Turtel unleashes a veritable full-scale assault on America's public school system, calling for nothing less than its complete disbandment. He then proceeds to describe a number of low-cost ways to fill the ensuing educational void. We all know the sad state of our public education system today, but I for one had never taken a step back to look at the whole picture. My own pet issues are political correctness, historical revisionism, and illiteracy, but Turtel shows these important areas of concern to be nothing more than the tip of the iceberg. The heart of the problem is the fact that our children now exist to serve the public school system instead of the public school system existing to serve our children. Turtel is spot on time and again in his descriptions of the many problems with public schools today, and his information on alternate, parent-driven means of education are of great value. If nothing else, parents will be much more aware of their options after reading this book, and that makes it invaluable - even if you don't agree with all of his conclusions. Personally, I would not make any decision based on this one book alone, and Turtel has supplied readers with a great storehouse of additional references. The public school system has obviously degraded a great deal since my younger days, and I don't have any children, yet I now plan on reading much more on the subject of public education - that's how eye-opening this book is. There are basically two parts to this book. The first part details the problems plaguing public schools today - and they are legion. First and foremost is the fact that significant numbers of high school graduates are functionally illiterate. There is no excuse for this whatsoever. Turtel's resources indicate that the average child can learn reading, writing, and basic arithmetic in one hundred hours, yet far too many young people never learn these skills over the course of twelve years of schooling. This problem has only been exacerbated in recent years by a move toward whole language teaching rather than phonics. What, you ask, are these schools actually teaching our kids, then? In increasing numbers of cases, and we've all heard examples of this on the news, public schools are indoctrinating kids with anti-American, anti-Judeo-Christian, and anti-parent values. Political correctness has run amuck in the public schools, replacing facts with "feelings," immersing children in foreign and pagan religions while forbidding the very mention of Christianity, dumbing down the textbooks, rewriting the history books, sending sixth-grade girls out to drugstores to buy condoms, etc. It just goes on and on. What we are talking about here is a policy of mind control, oftentimes literally with the increasing use of Ritalin among our children. Turtel argues that ADHD is a bogus medical condition - I don't know about that, but I do know that Ritalin (which can ha

This book is hard-hitting and packs a punch

Author Joel Turtel thoroughly educates readers about the condition of public schools in this country. This book is hard-hitting and packs a punch. Yet, the author has been careful to research his facts, and includes extensive footnotes and a bibliography. Educating our nation's children is everyone's concern. Future leaders are sitting in classrooms today, and it's imperative that they receive a quality education. However, a close inspection of our schools reveals a disturbing and sometimes diabolical condition. From curriculum to corrective measures, the author clearly shows that the nation's education system is not deserving of a passing grade. This book is divided into two parts, with the first section dealing with the abuses found in today's classrooms. Each chapter slowly and systematically sorts through the facts and fallacies, until readers get a true sense of the education system. The author backs up his opinions with solid statistics, as well as by personal accounts of parents, teachers, and students. Although all of this information may alternately discourage or enrage readers, the author uses the last section of the book to give clear and practical options for educating children. Home schooling and Internet schools are explored with the same meticulous research that went into the first half of the book. Web sites and teaching materials are listed and critiqued. If anyone is seriously considering either of these educational options, the material presented here will provide a solid introduction. The author unequivocally equips readers to understand and evaluate the education system, so they can make wise decisions about their children's futures. This reviewer applauds the time and effort it took to bring this book to publication. Most interesting was the idea of education entering a free market system. In fact, the author, who is an education policy analyst, makes several comprehensive suggestions. These pages will certainly open up readers' minds to daring new ideas. This book gets top grades from this reviewer! -- Joyce Handzo, Christian Book Previews.com

yes, but why?

I agree with all that the other reviewers have said and won't repeat it. There is one question though that cries out to be asked: Why? Why are such bizarre things being done to our children? And how did all this come about? There are a number of books that give a piece of the answer to these questions, such as "Who Stole Feminism?" which has chapters on "Transforming the Academy" and "Transforming the Curriculum." To get the whole picture, read While America Sleeps: How Islam, Immigration and Indoctrination Are Destroying America From Within. This book explains exactly what and how and why the schools are as they are. It is not an accident. Nor is it entirely incompetence. One way or another, Americans must take back the education of children as well as protect them from the miseducation coming from the mass media. With books like these, we can do it! The book is well documented with footnotes and quotes from others, showing that the facts alleged here are not the imagination of the author. As important, the book contains resources that parents can use. Turtell points out that homeschooling as usually conceived is not the only alternative to public schools. There are a variety of Internet schools, some of them fully accredited. Some offer direct interaction with the teacher. Some of more structured than others. A few are religion-affiliated. Most are secular. The author points out that in ALL 50 states parents now have the legal right to educate their children at home. The book provides long lists of various kinds of resources available on the Internet for doing this, including material for preparing for college entrance exams and for applying for admission to college for homeschooled kids.

A variety of practical strategies and educational resources

In Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents And Betray Our Children by education policy analyst Joel Turtel, parents and anyone else with an interest in the state of public education today will discover how ordinary middle-class parents can see that their children receive effective, quality, low-cost education without having to rely on the public school system of their community. Of special interest are Turtel's 22 danger signals that children are being failed by the public education system, and how public schools routinely indoctrinate children with anti-parent, anti-American, and anti-Judeo/Christian values, as well as the problems with peer pressures arising from the influences of a child-exploitive, media driven, secular culture. After revealing why public schools are failing to adequately and properly education students with inadequate curriculums, facilities, or instructional staffs, Turtel presents a variety of practical strategies and educational resources any parent can take advantage of, including Internet schools, home-schooling, and other practical, effective educational alternatives. The message of Public Schools, Public Menace is quite clear, the public school systems are failing the children and failing the communities that finances them. This is critically important reading and a welcome contribution to the national dialogue about America's approach to public education.