The Manufactured Crisis - Book Report/Review Example

(LasAltbacht) They believe that few “mythological tales” have come into existence regarding American education. They maintain that students’ performance has not at all experienced a fall. In their opinion, a national fall, quite low though, in average SAT scores is not something to worry about as numerical analysis of SAT average scores do not really matter. It doesn’t end here only; they go on to provide justification for their arguments. Students appearing for SAT have risen in numbers quite significantly which means students from more diversified backgrounds are now taking SAT.

Also, a lot of researches have concluded that SAT hardly has any such feature which can forecast actual potential of students appearing for it. (LasAltbacht) Biddle and Berliner also point out techniques and tests used by the critics to assess performance of students. They take on every method and come up with different analysis for every test which portrays a better picture of schools’ performance. They also reject the claims that Funding doesn’t really play a crucial role in maintaining better standards of schools as well as performances of students.

Authors also try to reveal that critics have intentionally tried and portrayed “opinions” as “facts”; for instance the so called “facts” that America faces a scarcity when it comes to having doctors and engineers, standard of teachers is falling and also that privately run schools are coming up with better performances than those being run by state. Rather than just answering the questions and concerns raised by critics, main aim of Authors behind writing this book, as it seems is, make people start reasoning things and create an opinion on this important issue.

They also try and make readers leave baseless conclusions and try and re-think over the issue, as handling and analyzing sophisticated research statistics and drawing conclusion through them needs some thought behind it. (LasAltbacht) As the use of word “manufactured” before crisis in name of the book itself suggests that Authors are very clear about one thing, that there are no crisis as such: everything has been made to look as if there was some serious crisis, thus throughout reading the book, reader’s kept quite aware of the motion that crisis is too big a word for the conditions that prevail in American educational system.

Though authors do embrace with open heart that existence of few problems in educational system can not at all be denied. But all that is needed to solve them out is an increase in supply of funds, more meaningful research and a bit more zeal and spirit. They take on federal government’s decision to step down from patronizing Public Education as a serious setback. Funding structure in itself is a problem, more urbanized and wealthy states and prominent public school setups get the major chunk of Funds.

Getting rid of this inequality might prove to be a helpful for the development of nation as a whole. Authors also review the obstacles experienced by public schools which are providing education to those students who come from families facing serious financial issues due to quite minute level of incomes. It doesn’t end here only; list of other social issues faced by these people is more troubling actually. (Doerr) Though Biddle and Berliner come up with a book which tries and looks at the positive side of the picture, and