A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door

The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School

De: Jack Schneider, Jennifer Berkshire

Narrado por: Suzie Althens

A trenchant analysis of how public education is being destroyed in overt and deceptive ways - and how to fight back.

If America's public schools don't survive the COVID-19 pandemic, it won't just be due to the virus. Opponents of public education have long sought to dismantle our system of free, universal, and taxpayer-funded schooling. But the present crisis has provided them with their best opportunity ever to realize that aim. Books like Jane Mayer's Dark Money and Nancy MacLean's Democracy in Chains sounded a clear warning about the influence that right-wing plutocrats increasingly exert over American politics. Now, A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door takes their analyses a step further, addressing an urgent question: Why is the right so fixated on dismantling public education in the United States?

Education historian Jack Schneider and journalist Jennifer Berkshire trace the war on public education to its origins, offering the deep backstory necessary to understand the threat presently posed to America's schools. The book also looks forward to imagine how current policy efforts will reshape the educational landscape and remake America's future. A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door offers listeners a lively, accessible, yet scholarly view of a decades-long conservative cause: unmaking the system that serves more than 90 percent of students in the US.

©2020 Jack Schneider and Jennifer Berkshire (P)2021 Tantor

the education wars

No other book captures the entire current fight around privatizing public education like this book.

A well presented view of education in the U.S. being destroyed by misapplied technology and selfish profit motives.

Conservative politicians destroying freedom while arguing for individual freedom, smacks of pure profit motives for certain privileged individuals

Essential Reading

Very authoritative and enlightening discussion of the conservatives’ efforts to weaken public education and to replace it with a market-based, profiteering model featuring unlicensed, poorly paid “mentors” instead of professional licensed teachers and individual technology centered learning instead of live classroom teaching. I particularly appreciated the discussion of the debacle in my state of Ohio. I have 3 family members who teach K-12 and 2 who teach at college level. This model threatens to end each of their career dreams as our children and grandchildren are given deficient educations. Highly recommend.

A Must Read

Public Education has always been a hallmark of American greatness. That doesn’t mean public schools are perfect by any means. But EVERYONE can receive an essential set of knowledge and skills. This book helps expose the efforts by a small group of very wealthy donors to undermine public education so that only those with means and/or connections can access it. Definitely a book all Americans should read!

Great book to combat the Libertarians!

So I’m a libertarian and I’ve been one for almost 15 years (Austrian Economist type), I think this is a great book that argues on the opposing side and gives someone ammunition to try and debate the topic of public/private education. I definitely do not agree with the sentiment of the book and it has not swayed me to believe that government run education is indeed the answer but I do think it is a good book to help someone on that side better debate topic with us!

This book is a wake up call, folks!!

As an long-time educator (50 years) I've watched the events described in the book come to be. Now I see what's been driving them and the reasons behind the slow chipping away of our public education system. I wish this book was required reading for all parents. What is happening is scary and our children are and will continue to pay the price.

Disappointing

The authors clearly wrote from a misinformed outside perspective. As an educator I find they missed the facts or confused facts at every turn and more effectively argued for the opposing view.