Fertilizers Pills and Magnetic Strips

We shape our tools and then they shape us. With these words KennethBoulding captured one of the great truths of the modern world. In FertilizersPills and Magnetic Strips Gene V Glass analyzes how a few key technologicalinventions changed culture in America and how public education has changedas a result. Driving these changes are material self-interest and the desire forcomfort and security both of which have transformed American culture into ahyper-consuming xenophobic society that is systematically degrading publiceducation.Glass shows how the central education policy debates at the start of the 21st century (vouchers charter schoolstax credits high-stakes testing bilingual education) are actually about two underlying issues: how can the costsof public education be cut and how can the education of the White middle-class be quasi-privatized at publicexpense? Working from the demographic realities of the past thirty years he projects a challenging anddisturbing future for public education in America.Fertilizers Pills and Magnetic Strips is attracting the attention of the nation'sforemost education scholars.Reviews:This is the first credible book of the 21st century to anticipate the future of publiceducation.David C. Berliner.a wake up call to America about the disastrous consequences of current policiesthat shortchange the education of the coming majorityLatinos and other 'minority'studentson whom the very future of the nation rests. Patricia GándaraThe book makes such impressive sense that one has to believe that its claritycommand of the facts eye for absurdity and concern for justice will garnergreater support for public education as a common and noble cause.John WillinskyThis is the most original book about education in years.Ernest R. House