Frederick M. Hess, Palgrave-MacMillan
2004
Palgrave-MacMillan will soon publish this fine book by Frederick M. Hess of the American Enterprise Institute. It argues that "there is a simple, sensible course that can help provide all of our children with the schools they deserve." Hess says the world is divided between "status quo reformers" and "common sense reformers" and declares that it's time for the latter to prevail. "Common sense reform," he contends, "is straightforward. It focuses on two precepts: accountability and flexibility. Accountability rewards excellence and penalizes failure. . . . Flexibility provides the tools to manage effectively, build teams, govern schools and classrooms, and reward those who take on oversized challenges or put forth exceptional efforts." There's plenty more, a whole book more, organized into substantive chapters on accountability, competition, teachers, school leaders, "reinvention" (major changes in the structures and governance of K-12 education), and what Hess terms "a common sense challenge," which recaps seven principles of reform, urges people to put them into practice, and assigns responsibility to various sectors. Overall, a grand summation of what I judge to be the essential elements of school reform circa 2004, presented lucidly and convincingly. The ISBN is 1-4039-6353-3, and you can learn more at http://www.palgrave-usa.com/catalog/product.aspx?isbn=1403963533.
