Edited by: Sherman Dorn, David A. Gamson
Publication Date: April 26, 2024
Pages: 256
In this fascinating collection, some of the foremost historians of education—including Barbara Beatty, Larry Cuban, Linda Eisenmann, Yoon K. Pak, John L. Rury, and Jonathan Zimmerman—debunk commonly held myths about American schooling. Each short, readable chapter focuses on one myth, explaining what the real history is and how it helped shape education today. Contributors take on a host of tall tales, including the supposed agrarian origins of summer vacation; exaggerated stories of declining student behavior and academic performance; persistent claims that some people are born to be teachers; idealistic notions that the 1954 Brown decision ended segregation in American schools; misleading beliefs that classrooms operate in ways designed to fit the industrial era; and more. 23 Myths About the History of American Schools will awaken the inner history nerd of everyone who ever asked, “How did we get this irrational school system?” It will affirm the truth that its readers are as entitled to think critically about schooling as anyone else.
Book Features:
Sherman Dorn is a professor of education at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. David A. Gamson is a professor of education in the Department of Education Policy Studies at The Pennsylvania State University.
“From local school-board meetings to the deliberations of the U.S. Supreme Court, myths about the history of public schools play a powerful—and sometimes harmful—role in policy discussions. This invaluable collection of essays punctures those myths and offers a vital look at real history. Highly recommended for everyone who cares about the past, present, and future of public education.”
—Adam Laats, professor of education and history, Binghamton University–SUNY, and author of Mr. Lancaster’s System: The Failed Reform that Launched America’s Public Schools
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