Routledge The Politics of American Education (Sociocultural, Political, and Historical Studies in Education)

Turning his distinctive analytical lens to the politics of American education, Joel Spring looks at contemporary educational policy issues from theoretical, practical, and historical perspectives. This comprehensive overview documents and explains who influences educational policy and how, bringing to life the realities of schooling in the 21st century and revealing the ongoing ideological struggles at play. Coverage includes the influence of global organizations on American school policies and the impact of emerging open source and other forms of electronic textbooks. Thought-provoking, lucid, original in its conceptual framework and rich with engaging examples from the real world, this text is timely and useful for understanding the big picture and the micro-level intricacies of the multiple forces at work in controlling U.S. public schools . It is the text of choice for any course that covers or addresses the politics of American education. Companion Website: The interactive Companion Website accompanying this text includes relevant data, public domain documents, YouTube links, and links to websites representing political organizations and interest groups involved in education. Review One of CHOICE's "Outstanding Academic Titles" of 2011. "This book offers an insightful analysis of the human capital paradigm into which American educational politics has become increasingly locked. It casts a broad net to cover the range of influences on the educational politics and offers a clear and erudite argument from an expert in the field."―Teachers College Record About the Author Joel Spring is Professor of Education, Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.