[AAACE-NLA] New Book On NCLB

[Thomas Sticht]

Aaace-nla colleagues:

A new book about No Child Left Behind is now available and includes a
chapter consisting of one of the messages I posted on the aaace-nla list
last year (How Well Can U.S. Adults Read? Government-Centered vs.
Learner-Centered Estimates ). It is the only chapter about adult literacy
and raises issues about reading reform based on the differences between
adult literacy abilities in the nation as indicated by the National Adult
Literacy Survey / International Adult Literacy Survey  standardized tests
in contrast to the adult’s self-perceptions of their literacy abilities
for meeting their needs in daily life and at work.

The book is:
Saving Our Schools : The Case For Public Education(Paperback) -US-
Editors are Goodman, Ken /Shannon, Patrick /Goodman, Yetta /Rapoport ,
Roger /Publisher:RDR Books Published 2004/06 US$16.95

The web site for ordering the book is
http://direct.rdrbooks.com/cgi-bin/RDRdirect/1-57143-102-0.html

The web site ad for the book says: quote "When Congress enacted the No
Child Left Behind Law in 2002, Democrats and Republicans proudly announced
that impoverished public schools coast to coast would receive desperately
needed federal funding. Today it is clear that the Bush administration
will not provide the promised billions. States and local schools, already
hard hit by budget cuts in a down economy now have to pay hundreds of
millions to comply with the new law. School boards will also lose current
federal funding
(roughly 2 to 8 percent of each district's budget) unless they throw out
sound curriculum in favor of Washington's educational realpolitik. No
Child Left Behind is so deeply flawed that it can only make sense if its
purpose is seen as destroying free public education in America.. This book
shows how citizens can stop Washington's war against public education."
end quote

NOTE: Ken Goodman is considered by some to be the "father" of the modern
"whole language" approach to reading instruction.