While this book is not play oriented it does tell the story of how No Child Left Behind led to play based learning being removed from Kindergarten and pre-school classrooms. In this landmark book, Diane Ravitch – former assistant secretary of education and a leader in the drive to create a national curriculum – examines her career in education reform and repudiates positions that she once staunchly advocated. Drawing on over forty years of research and experience, Ravitch critiques today’s most popular ideas for restructuring schools, including privatization, the Common Core, standardized testing, the replacement of teachers by technology, charter schools, and vouchers. She shows conclusively why the business model is not an appropriate way to improve schools. Using examples from major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, and San Diego, Ravitch makes the case that public education today is in peril and includes clear prescriptions for improving America’s schools.
