Forget the Fads-The Old Way Works Best

摘要

I've never claimed to have psychic powers, but I did predict that the $500 million that philanthropist Walter Annenberg poured into various school systems around the country, be ginning in 1993, would fail to make any difference in the quality of public education. Regrettably, I was right. By April 1998, it was clear that the much-ballyhooed effort had collapsed on itself. A Los Angeles Times editorial said, "All hopes have diminished. The promised improvements have not been realized." The program had become so bogged down by politics and bureaucracy that it had failed to create any significant change. How did I know this would be the result of Annenberg's well-intentioned efforts? Easy. There has never been an innovation or reform that has helped children learn any better, faster or easier than they did prior to the 20th century. I believe a case could be made that real learning was better served then than now.