If You're Riding a Horse and It Dies, Get Off: Grades K-8

by Jim Grant, Char Forsten

This is a humorour allegory about education, well-intentioned people with unrealistic ideas, and a dead horse. Confused? The book will help explain.

Genres: Education, Humor, Picture Books, Teaching

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[PARZIVAL]

halarious title

[Stephanie]

Just get off the horse guys🙏

[Claudia]

I had forgotten all about this little gem until recently. It's a perfect mood-lightener for all those professional development days reformers force on educators. Those days when non-educators tell educators how to teach, what to teach, how to test, what to test.

When you're riding a horse and it dies, GET OFF!!

Don't test, measure, evaluate. Don't whip or put it on an IEP (Individualized Equestrian Plan). Don't give it another saddle. Don't add a team to investigate.

GET OFF and MOVE ALONG!!

[Jim]

6 star book

YES YES YES

this book should be read by every politician (although it is for the other guy, not themselves) and store manager(although it isn't about them) and middlemanagement person (because it is about the middlemangaement person down the hall) pastor/priest of a declining church(they'll know someone to give it to) and worker in a non-profit (because they haven't had a good cry in hours).

[Elizabeth]

This is a book that pokes fun at educational reform. It is super because it applies to almost any change that one might be making in our culture and how we often stubbornly stick with a strategy that is not working because we think we should "study" it more, or throw more money at it, or make it even more challenging, etc. This is a simplified way of saying, just change the vehicle!!

[Jean]

Satirical and humorous. A good read for those who work with bureaucracies, especially public schools.

Jean

[Miah D]

Great satire on educational reform.

[Tim Floyd]

Insightful look into education issues under the guise of a children's book.

[Shailee]

clear and to the point.