A. Dee Bird

Better Ways: Alternatives to No Child Left Behind A. Dee Bird

Within the pages of this volume, the reader will discover two books enter-twined together. One is a memoir. The other is philosophical discourse on school reform. The latter is forged from life experiences related in the former. For that reason, they should not be separated. If one takes the time to read it in its entirety, any confusion evaporates. This is, after all, the reflections of someone looking back over practices that worked and some which did not measure up. The author?s arguments are based not on a brief bit of internet research or some meta-study, but on a lifetime of intense reflection, reading and practical experience. To borrow from the current vernacular, I?d say the real message of Better Ways is that it demonstrates how one educator learned to talk the talk while walking the walk. Data in support of the better ways he advocates, comes directly from his experience. Anecdotal or not I adamantly maintain that this book provides significant fuel for the debate. -~James Marsh (Teacher, Scientist, Woodcraftsman, Musician)