Winds of Change: Declaring War on Education

(Paperback)

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Description

As culturally-diverse students feel trapped in failing public schools and abandoned by the system school choice offers a way out and a way up for students who have not succeeded in existing public schools. Many of the intractable problems that plague culturally diverse students are deeply rooted in the poverty, unemployment, crime, racism, and cultural differences that pervade the neighborhoods around them. Educators who work in our nation's schools represent the conscience of a society because they shape the conditions under which future generations learn about themselves and their relationships to others in the world. Educators, families and community members need to reinvigorate the language, social relations, and politics of schooling. We need to address the issues of school culture, poverty and violence. We need to look at new and future trends in education. Our goal is to achieve results. Parents, teachers and students must come together to make a difference. Ideas and people can change the course of history.

Reviews

As a parent, I have the highest regard for Darlene and her teaching strategies. Her latest book, Winds of Change, speaks volumes about her caring for the education of youth and how she used those strategies to help my daughter, Natosha, graduate from high school and move on to become a life-long learner. -- Francine Haywood, parent
Dr. Leidings research concerning schools and their role in the education of Americas future generations raises some provocative questions. She challenges readers to consider the impact of schools that fail to meet the needs of students, especially the needs of underserved populations. No longer is it acceptable to focus on teaching but results demand that schools focus on learning. Dr. Leidings message is one that will test your basic assumptions about education and cause you to think about the future needs and demands that will be placed upon schools as they attempt to prepare students for the future. -- Quintin Pettigrew, educational consultant
When educating our young people, we can't continue doing what has worked in the past, but will need to meet tomorrow's needs and invest in its future in order to succeed. Darlene Leiding addresses those needs with thoroughly-researched ideas on how to invest in our children's futures, leading to their educational success. Administrators, school board members, educators and, yes, parents need to be aware of this information as today they plan, build and equip our schools of tomorrow. -- Judy Schulze, educational consultant, Mankato, MN, pre-K - 8th grade educator

Dr. Darlene Leiding examines the present state of affairs in our public school system and comes up with a real appraisal of what needs to be done. Most startling is her observation of the deterioration of school culture and many of the developments which have led to it. She observes that schools need to admit to and deal with school violence. School violence has become a significant handicap to moving ahead with building productive schools.

Her observation of the inability of one-size-fits-all schools to adjust to the needs of different groups of students is insightful. We need to be more creative than this.

This is an important book which can lead us all to an understanding of how we can reconstruct a learning environment necessary for school success.

-- Mona Stegeman, accounting manager, RTS Shearing
Leiding's slim book pulls no punches. She confronts the problems of education in the US boldly and with refreshing directness. Her suggestions provide reasonable approaches that offer hope for the future. Unencumbered by multiple citations, her concise style makes for an easy read. Leiding calls for fresh approaches to replace the numerous ways that educational change has been addressed--ways that have yielded little if any improvement, and have done actual damage. The book considers the impact of racism, poverty, and the structural organization of society as major contributors to the weakening of public education. It argues for competition, against the testing mania, and for curriculum that lessens the difference between "school" and "real life" knowledge. Because today's school culture brings challenges unknown in previous times, (e.g., low achievement, shootings, drugs, technology, and teen pregnancy), a fresh approach to the problem of education in the US is needed. Fresh approaches grow out of frank consideration of what matters. Identifying what matters--equity, community, and learning--and then acting on it can move the US closer to having the schools it needs. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. * Choice Reviews *

Author Bio

Dr. Darlene Leiding is an expert in the realm of charter schools and alternative education and has created an elementary and high school alternative program. She has recently retired, but continues working with inner city students.