The Schools Our Children Deserve by Alfie Kohn

The Schools Our Children Deserve by Alfie Kohn

In this provocative and well-researched book, Alfie Kohn builds a powerful argument against "teaching to the test" in favor of more child-centered curriculums to raise lifelong learners. Drawing on stories from real classrooms and extensive research, Kohn shows parents, educators, and others how schools can help students explore ideas rather than just fill them with forgettable facts and prepare them for standardized tests. Here, at last, is a book that challenges the two dominant forces in American education: an aggressive nostalgia for traditional teaching ("If it was bad enough for me, it's bad enough for my kids") and a heavy-handed push for "tougher standards."

But if we move beyond these outdated ideas, what does better education actually look like?

• Beyond "Back to Basics": Discover why traditional, teacher-centered instruction often fails and what a truly progressive, child-centered classroom looks like in practice.
• Rethinking Motivation: Learn why a focus on grades, tests, and other external rewards can actually undermine a student's desire to learn--and what fosters genuine, lasting curiosity.
• Authentic Assessment: Move past the limits of standardized testing with practical, research-backed alternatives that show what students truly understand, not just what they can memorize.
• Constructivist Classrooms: Explore schools where students are active meaning-makers, exploring ideas and solving problems rather than passively receiving forgettable facts.

According to Time magazine, Alfie Kohn is arguably the country's most outspoken opponent of education's obsession on grades [and] test scores. The Schools Our Children Deserve, The Argument Against Standardized Testing, and The Homework Myth are among his 13 books on education and human behavior. Kohn, a former teacher, now consults with schools across the country and talks at national conferences on a regular basis. He currently resides in Belmont, Massachusetts. and www.alfiekohn.org (virtually).