Despite the best efforts of educators, our nation's schools are
dangerously obsolete. Instead of teaching students to be critical
thinkers and problem-solvers, we are asking them to memorize facts for
multiple choice tests. This problem isn't limited to low-income school
districts: even our top schools aren't teaching or testing the skills
that matter most in the global knowledge economy. Our teens leave school
equipped to work only in the kinds of jobs that are fast disappearing
from the American economy. Meanwhile, young adults in India and China
are competing with our students for the most sought-after careers around
the world.
Education expert Tony Wagner has conducted scores of interviews with
business leaders and observed hundreds of classes in some of the
nation's most highly regarded public schools. He discovered a profound
disconnect between what potential employers are looking for in young
people today (critical thinking skills, creativity, and effective
communication) and what our schools are providing (passive learning
environments and uninspired lesson plans that focus on test preparation
and reward memorization).
He explains how every American can work to overhaul our education
system, and he shows us examples of dramatically different schools that
teach all students new skills. In addition, through interviews with
college graduates and people who work with them, Wagner discovers how
teachers, parents, and employers can motivate the &net; generation to
excellence.
An education manifesto for the twenty-first century, The Global
Achievement Gap is provocative and inspiring. It is essential reading
for parents, educators, business leaders, policy-makers, and anyone
interested in seeing our young people succeed as employees and citizens.
For additional information about the author and the book, please go to
www.schoolchange.org
