“Whether readers are searching for ideas to add to an existing program or what to subtract (or even what to modify), Getting Education Right can be motivating and educating.”
—School Administrator
“Rick Hess and Mike McShane are two of the smartest—and, more important, wisest—experts on education we have. Ready with compelling ideas and clear prose, they are the teachers we need right now.”
—Ramesh Ponnuru, editor, National Review
“For many years a few of us have urged fellow conservatives to get involved in The Great American Education Debate. If they do, this book will help them be prepared; it is rich in history, fact, and perspective.”
—William Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education
“I disagree with Hess and McShane most days of the week, but what a splendid book this is: sweeping in scope, breezily written, and laced with humor. The authors decimate flabby educational thinking on all sides, then advance a provocative agenda grounded in clearly articulated first principles. No matter your political persuasion, you will learn a great deal from Getting Education Right and be better positioned to help tackle one of America’s most important challenges.”
—Richard D. Kahlenberg, senior fellow, the Progressive Policy Institute and author, Tough Liberal
“American education is in crisis. This is not news. Conservatives have cohesive solutions to the myriad challenges American education faces. This is news that has not been widely reported. We need to be far more assertive in sharing our vision for America’s students, and Mike and Rick do just that in this important volume full of ideas that, if implemented, would dramatically improve the outcomes and experiences of American students.”
—Betsy DeVos, former U.S. Secretary of Education
“Conservatives are very clear about what we are against these days, but much too vague about what we’re for. In this superb, engaging book, Frederick Hess and Michael McShane offer a comprehensive, positive conservative vision for education. It is essential reading not only for anyone interested in education, but for anyone who wants to see a conservatism that takes the country’s future seriously.”
—Yuval Levin, founding editor, National Affairs and author, A Time to Build
“Hess and McShane have written a valuable, even wise, book. In a time in which performative politics substitutes for reasoned argument, the authors offer instead a thoughtful, serious vision of education grounded in longstanding conservative principles but adapted to today’s realities. Although I come from a different part of the political spectrum, I found many of their arguments attentive to the complexities of human realities in ways that I think we all should pay attention to. Read this book!”
—Jal Mehta, professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education and author, In Search of Deeper Learning
“In Getting Education Right, Rick Hess and Michael McShane make a strong case for a new approach to education that’s grounded in conservative principles. Their vision includes school choice and goes well beyond, proposing innovative reforms that will fundamentally improve America’s education system for the good of all students. This book is a must-read for policymakers, parents, and educators.”
—Kim Reynolds, Governor of Iowa
“In sharp yet accessible prose, Hess and McShane explain why conservatives need to engage education policy with more than soundbites and outrage, but also why America needs conservatives to fix what has gone so terribly wrong with our education system. This superlative book is an antidote to the partisan bickering that makes serious deliberation and debate impossible. It offers a precise, comprehensive agenda for reviving our classrooms and enriching the lives of our young people.”
—Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief and founder, The Dispatch and author, Suicide of the West
“It will surprise approximately no one that I disagree with Hess and McShane on many, if not most, substantive points. But that’s precisely why I think this book is worth reading. Common schooling depends on common ground, which in turn is contingent upon us working through our differences in good faith. By clearly articulating a conservative vision for education—one that seeks transparency above point-scoring—Hess and McShane have opened up an opportunity for dialogue, debate, and deliberation.”
—Jack Schneider, Dwight W. Allen Distinguished Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst and author, A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door
“What a breath of fresh air. At a time when our educational challenges and national polarization can feel stifling, Hess and McShane have sketched a principled, practical vision of how to do better by America's students and families. With historical perspective, good humor, and an abiding faith in the American project, they've penned a book that is as heartening as it is provocative. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.”
—Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Secretary of Education and director, Bipartisan Policy Center
