Educating the Right Way: Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality

In this book Apple explores the 'conservative restoration' - the rightward turn of a broad-based coalition that is making successful inroads in determining American and international educational policy. It takes a pragmatic look at what critical educators can do to build alternative coalitions and policies that are more democratic. Apple urges this group to extricate itself from its reliance on the language of possibility in order to employ pragmatic analyses that address the material realities of social power.

Prolific author Apple (curriculum and instruction, education policy studies, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison) has recently been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Educational Research Association as well as a UCLA Medal for outstanding achievement in education. His latest assault on the political right targets many of the same conservative movements that he fired on in Official Knowledge: Democratic Education in a Conservative Age (Routledge, 1993. o.p.). Here he explains how and why right-wing groups have become so powerful in recent years, warning that U.S. public education is endangered by rightist thinking. Apple argues passionately against vouchers, national curricula, standardized testing, and other misguided notions of reform and contends that "authoritarian populist" proposals will exacerbate inequality in and among our schools. He urges readers to affirm a more democratic education system. Extensive notes and bibliographical references support his provocative arguments. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
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