Malfunction of US Education Policy

Richard P. Phelps is founder of the muck-raking Nonpartisan Education Group, and editor and co-author of Correcting Fallacies about Educational and Psychological Testing (American Psychological Association) and Defending Standardized Testing (Psychology Press). He holds degrees from Washington and Harvard Universities, and a PhD in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

• Preface: Protecting Endangered ThesesIntroduction:The Cartel Alliance and Honest TerminologyChapter 1. The View from 2001Chapter 2. The Triumph of Strategic ScholarshipChapter 3. The Education Establishment CartelChapter 4. Linchpin of the Cartel Alliance: Koretz, Cannell, and the Ghost of Test SecurityChapter 5. The Education Reform CartelChapter 6. A Dense Web of Common Core ConfederatesChapter 7. The Permanent Education Press: A Breed ApartChapter 8. The View from 2022Conclusion: When What is Left Out is More ImportantAbout the Author

Many who work in America’s public schools, teacher preparation programs, school district offices, and other such places often marvel at how out-of-touch education policy seems and wonder why it ignores the basic problems facing those in the trenches. In a masterful work, Phelps suggests this disconnect stems from the misinformation, disinformation, and selfishness of policy makers. The book's eight chapters address the view of education policy from 2001, the triumph of strategic scholarship, the education establishment cartel, linchpins of the cartel alliance, the education reform cartel, the dense web of Common Core confederates, the permanent education press, and the view from 2023. While many of these topics have been examined before, Phelps brings a fresh, piercing, and astute outlook. This book would be a superb complement for a class using Fullan’s Leading in a Culture of Change (Jossey-Bass 2020), Sizer’s Horace’s Compromise (Harper, 2004), or Duke’s Leadership for Low-Performing Schools (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015). While essential for those interested in school leadership and change, the work will also be of interest to those interested in public policy, ethics, or the political process. Essential. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers.