Smart Kids, Bad Schools: 38 Ways to Save America's Future

by Brian Crosby

Book Overview

Drawing on his 17 years as a high school English teacher, Crosby offers an unapologetic, no-holds-barred critique of the broken education system, candidly explaining why schools are failing and what must be done to save them.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312372582
• ISBN13: 9780312372583
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Lots of Sensible Ideas But a Handful of Bad Ones

Mr. Crosby's book is a fairly quick read and many of his ideas for improving government-run schools are eminently sensible. These include: making schools' physical appearances and policies less like prisons; larger class sizes with higher quality teachers in high school classes; K-8 schools rather than separate middle schools; a ban on junk food/beverage sales; daily PE and a strong arts program; high-quality vocational education for non-college bound students; merit pay for teachers; eliminating tenure; ending social promotion; bringing back the teaching of basic civility, personal responsibility, respect for and consideration of others, and other virtues; more rigorous classes for gifted students; more field trips; incorporating community service; empowering teachers to actually do their jobs instead of being micromanaged by administrators and bureaucrats; less standardized testing; improving teacher preparation programs at the nation's colleges of education; having a career ladder for teachers; better fiscal management so that schools get more bang for their educational buck; requiring parental involvement; expelling chronically disruptive students; ending frivolous lawsuits by parents; and placing caps on out-of-control special education spending. A few of his arguments I found unconvincing. I do not share his enthusiasm for a year-round calendar, a longer school day, and full-day kindergarten for all students. These may be appropriate for some children, but for others so much time spent in an institutionalized setting may actually be detrimental. I also disagree with his ideas for moving teachers rather than students from classroom to classroom; having a M-Th schedule for teachers with every single Friday devoted to professional development; and his bashing of private schools & homeschooling and his paternalistic attitude that parents should automatically defer to the teacher's "authority" and "expertise" without question. Overall, however, I highly recommend "Smart Kids, Bad Schools" to anyone interested in improving the U.S. K-12 education system.

If we made just a few of the changes mentioned in this book, WOW...what a difference!

It's great to read a book on education that is actually written by a current veteran teacher as we rarely hear in the public what teachers think should be done to help our educational system. Why is it that politicians think they know better than teachers on how to help solve America's education crisis? The book is not just for teachers...its for everyone as education is our foundation for this country. A very entertaining, yet thought provoking read.

Finally a book about fixing America's Schools that anybody can read

Brian Crosby has written a fast-paced, entertaining book that presents a vision on how America needs to makeover its public schools. Smart Kids Bad Schools is full of clever ideas that everyone should seriously consider implementing. Plus, he is an actual school teacher with 20 years' experience so he knows what he is talking about. I've heard Mr. Crosby speak on TV and would love to see him on Oprah debating education with the likes of Bill Gates--it would be fascinating.