The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, And The Attack On America's Public Schools

by David C. Berliner, Bruce J. Biddle

The Manufactured Crisis debunks the myths that test scores in America's schools are falling, that illiteracy is rising, and that better funding has no benefit. It shares the good news about public education. Disputing conventional wisdom, this book ignited debate in Newsweek, The New York Times, and the entire teaching profession. Winner of the American Educational Research Association book award, The Manufactured Crisis is the best source of facts and analysis for people who care about what's really happening in our schools.

Genres: Education, Academic, Nonfiction, Banned Books

432 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[Tony Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect example of the right wing attack dogs in action...I will always remember this book the next time some right wing butjob (ie...half of America) wants to denigrate a public institution) Never forget it is in their interest to make public institutions fail, because then a for-profit private one can rise up in its stead. Shockingly, US education isn't a monolith...and Minnesota rivals Taiwan in Math (haven't heard that on the news...wonder why not) while Louisiana is barely better than Jordan....guess which one gets more funding....guess where the funding in L.A. has gone instead recently....great book

[Matthew Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fell off towards the second half.

There were a few points of odd contradictions that will have the careful reader scratching their head (ex. At one point a dataset is discredited to disprove a point, at another point the same dataset is cited as a valid dataset to disprove a point.)

The final points in the book aren't backed by much and make it feel much weaker than the earlier chapters in the book.

[Mark Isaak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess that I had fallen for the propaganda from the Reagan and Bush administrations saying that our schools are terrible, typified by _A Nation at Risk_. Berlinger and Biddle show that our education system, on the whole, is among the best in the world, especially given the relatively low amount of money we spend on it. They dismantle the false claims of education critics and suggest reasons the lies gained support (the lies further an agenda of supporting the upper class at the expense of the poor, schools serve as scapegoats for other societal ills; and private school CEOs can get federal handouts). They also go into detail about the ways our schools *do* fall short (the biggest being unequal funding leaving many schools in squalor, especially where good education is most needed; also: too much testing, big bureaucracies, and more) and give evidence-based suggestions for improvement. Written in 1995, the book could benefit a little from an update, but it is still remarkably current.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only needed Chapters 1,4,5,&6 for my paper. From this book, I learned the political environment for the 1983 report "A Nation at Risk." I learned about statistical errors and fallacies in reasoning that inform some report, the conditions of schools in the Reagan-Bush administration, and the Reagan-Bush agenda.

[JwW White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a big dense and dated, this book debunks the myth that American public schools are failing. Rather, it shows how--with very few funds--they do a remarkable job with an ever harder demographic/clientele.

[Jennifer Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for any educator or administrator.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. Too much information on the statistics used in the main body makes reading choppy. That's what appendices are for.

[Doug Martin]

Another classic. This book will shock you, for it details and debunks the propaganda those out to privatize education have been using for decades.

[Matt Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, but also a very time consuming read. I do love how it dispels many of the ridiculous myths out there about public education. Perhaps all of those in power should read it.