Mercedes Schneider’s hard-hitting new book–A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who in the Implosion of American Public Educations–which explores the persons and organizations behind the attacks on public education– was officially published on April 22 by Information Age Publishing. She has no public relations campaign, no marketing budget, no press release, no press conferences, no webinars, no flyers, just word of mouth. As of this minute, it is ranked about #5,100 on amazon.com
Paul Peterson and his co-authors published a book about the same time called Teachers Versus the Public: What Americans Think About Schools and How To Fix Them, in which they argue that teachers (not the unions, but teachers–those dangerous people who pretend to be your second cousins and your friends) are the enemies of school reform. By that, they mean that teachers are blocking such wonderful reforms as vouchers, charters, merit pay, abolishing tenure, high-stakes testing, and other things they like but teachers don’t. The book was published by the Brookings Institution Press and was heavily promoted. It has the endorsements of such heavy hitters as Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush, and Eric Hanushek. At a webinar last week, Peterson and his co-authors introduced their book to the public. Lily Eskelsen of the NEA bravely joined the panel and asked Peterson whether he planned to abandon his tenure at Harvard. I don’t think he answered her question, and I doubt he will abandon his tenure to set a good example for the nation’s teachers. As of this minute, the Peterson book is ranked on amazon.com at about #128,000.
Mercedes’ book is so under-promoted that it doesn’t even have a jacket cover on the amazon website. Yet her book, with no promotion, no marketing, no press release, is outselling Peterson’s. Maybe the public likes teachers and doesn’t think they are public enemy number 1.
Read Mercedes’ thoughts on the matter.
I am reading the Peterson book, an unreality-based load of anti-teacher manure. Rhee and Jeb Bush endorse the book because it praises them. I will be reviewing it — unfavorably of course — in several venues. It is shocking that a reputable outfit like Brookings would put its name on this mess of bovine excrement.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Schneider book.
Also, see the May issue of The Progressive for three excellent articles on the attacks on public education.
Edd Doerr (arlinc.org)
Ed doer, please share your review after you read it.
And the truth comes out IN THE REAL DATA! But then again… now that this has been published some megamillionaire will pay 500,000 people to buy the Brookings Institute supported “ed reformy” publication because they have a myth to uphold!
Artseagal, I worried that Bill Gates would buy 1,000 copies to change the numbers but since my post came out, the anti-teacher book ratings are even worse. Maybe he will wait until Monday.
Too bad there’s no picture up of the cover. It’s gorgeous.
There were some snafus with getting the book registered on Amazon. The interactive cover should appear in the future, as should the kindle version.
I have ordered my copy from my local book seller.
Congrats, I want to buy it but I am definitely not buying it from Amazon.
Help me sort this out Mercedes. I just see that Badass Teachers, Chalkface and the film, Standardized, are linked to a Pennsylvania NGO, http://www.standardizedthefilm.com/resources/. Am I missing something? What role does the NGO play? Are they a funding source? Their history goes back very far in designing the schools in the US for industry. Wikipedia has a good review.
and United Opt Out.
In her new book, Indian author, Arundahti Roy, says:
“Armed with their billions, these NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations)
have waded into the world, turning potential revolutionaries into salaried activists, funding artists, intellectuals, and film makers, gently luring them away from radical confrontation, ushering them in the direction of multiculturalism, gender equity, community development- the discourse couched in the language of identity politics and human rights.”
“Having worked out how to manage governments, political parties, elections, the courts, the media and liberal opinion, the neoliberal establishment faced one more challenge; how to deal with growing unrest, the threat of “peoples’ power”. How do you domesticate it? How do you turn protestors into pets. How do you vacuum up people’s fury and redirect it into blind alleys?”
Arundhati Roy (2014)
Joseph, you have asked me a large question, and I haven’t time right now to answer. But I will keep your question in mind as I tackle other work lined up for me this evening and in the near future.
For Peterson’s screed, under “Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed,” the first item is “Resurrection: A Zombie Novel.”
Wyatt Earp, I will be posting tomorrow because it is so funny.
Look at the age levels for Peterson book. I hope they don’t take it down.
I beg y’all to handle this with at least, if not more than, the delicacy and care that we have all come to expect from the self-styled “education reformers.”
If not so handled, I will find myself besieged by emails from yet another group that feels it has been slighted on this blog.
I will admit that I too have sometimes referred to the “zombie-esque” ideas and plans of the leaders of the “new civil rights movement of our time” like merit pay and stack ranking and the fetishistic adoration of standardized test scores. However, let’s not forget that as members of the living we might be a wee bit biased against the, er, “living-challenged” [“stinking undead” has been denounced by graveyard denizens everywhere]. And let’s avoid the “guilt by association” with the “living-challenged,” shall we? Have a heart for those that might not…
Zomebie isn’t necessarily a bad word. I’ve read the following. It’s more than readable; it’s an instant classic. Then read the last sentence of the book description on Amazon that follows.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith.
“Complete with romance, heartbreak, sword fights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.”
Truer words were never written.
Pardon. Except for those on the blog of deutsch29 that have made their way into the book entitled A CHRONICLE OF ECHOES. And as far as I know, without even one sword fight, zombie, or rotting corpse. Wow! Go figure… [a numbers/stats joke]
😎
Sorry, another question. Is there a way to get Mercedes’ book other than from Amazon? I’m boycotting Jeff Bezos.
You can buy Mercedes book direct from Information Age publishers. Thus bypassing Bezos, the Internet giant that ate the world.
Any local bookstore can order the book for you.
Barnes and Noble has Mercedes’s book listed as a “textbook”, so it will only be available online.
The publisher mostly produces textbooks, so I’m thinking my book was “caught up” in a batch of them submitted to B&N at the same time.
To be “fair and balanced” let’s go with the self-styled “education reform” version of data-driven assessment.
First the hard data—
Mercedes Schneider paperback: 5:01 PM, PST, #6,118 in books on Amazon.
Paul Peterson paperback: 4:57 PM, PST, #173,364 in books on Amazon.
Paul Peterson kindle edition: 4:58 PM, PST, #190,384 in Kindle Store on Amazon.
Second, an edict by a noted theologian of the High Holy Church of Testolatry—
“Men lie and women lie but numbers don’t.”* [‘Dr.’ Steve Perry, “America’s Most Trusted Educator”—it’s in big letters on his website!] *Channeling rapper Jay-Z.*
The conclusion is inescapable.
Team Education: Dr. Mercedes Schneider with endorsement by Dr. Diane Ravitch.
Team Misdirection: Dr. Paul E. Peterson & Dr. Michael Henderson & Dr. Martin R. West with endorsements by former NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Governor Jeb Bush, former DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Dr. Eric A. Hanushek.
Team Education with 2 players having waived the usual ‘even-steven’ rule, scores a KO over Team Education with 7 players. Mercy rule would have been invoked but for the stunningly quick conclusion of this contest that didn’t allow the judges enough seconds to put it into play.
For those that cannot accept the iron-clad data-drivel results, I call forth an impenetrable argument:
“I reject that mind-set.” [Michelle Rhee]
Most hearty congratulations to Dr. Mercedes Schneider.
My copy of her book is already on its way.
😎
Thanks, KrazyTA. I enjoyed reading your reflection. 🙂
7:12 am
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#1 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Research
#5 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Pedagogy
#9 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Instruction Methods
Two corrections.
Just above: “Team Education with 7 players” should read “Team Misdirection with 7 players.”
Further above in another comment: sentence beginning with “Zomebie” should read “Zombie.”
My bad.
😎
Didn’t realize until this morning when I picked up my newspaper, Sunday, May 4, that the book was delivered late on Saturday, May 3.
It took much less than the week plus I was told.
Now, on to the reading!
😎
I just bought Mercedes and Diane’s books and looking to help the numbers for both authors but more importantly doing fantastic reading.
Wonder if Ed Week will give equal time to a review of Mercedes’ book? http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2014/05/are_teachers_standing_in_the_way_of_school_improvement.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS3