Education: Back to the Future

As a leader in the loosely identified American alternative school movement of the 1960s and ’70s, Solo (Making an Extraordinary School) witnessed both the achievements and failures of unstructured classroom environments and student-driven education. In these nebulously linked essays, which are more conceptual than policy-oriented, he presents a wistfully anachronistic argument for returning to collaborative instruction. Using examples from both successful and disastrous models, Solo draws sharp distinctions between those that are well-intended and those that are effective. But his well-intentioned arguments against education that prepares children for an evolving workplace (inspired by No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top Fund legislation) are undermined by his own subjective biases, such as when he veers into discussions about what should be taught rather than the means of teaching it. While there are a lot of worthy moments in the book, Solo’s arguments are simply not conclusive enough.[em] (Nov.) [/em]