Why do students in two dozen countries, from China to Canada, continue to outperform American students in math, science and reading? And what does that reality mean for the future of our kids—and our nation? These are questions that drove Milken National Educator Award-winning teacher Keith Ballard to become the first documented K-12 teacher to complete a self-funded study of schools in 17 countries that regularly beat us on international exams.To discover what these places are doing right, he talked his way into meetings with top education officials in Estonia. He slept in his car so he could afford to visit schools in Switzerland, ate lunch in an elementary school cafeteria in Singapore and donned an apron in a home economics class in Finland. He even landed tours of classes in elusive North Korea. Over the course of a decade, he filmed hundreds of hours of video from more than 170 schools. In this thought-provoking tale, he blends firsthand accounts from inside the world’s top classrooms, hard data and his own experiences as a public school teacher to explore eight distinct elements of the world’s most successful education systems. Ballard advocates for sweeping change. But he also ends each chapter with practical steps every reader—whether you’re a parent or a teacher, a student or a policymaker—can take right now to nudge our schools in the right direction and help our students prosper in this hypercompetitive world.“Keith Ballard attacks the myths surrounding ‘American exceptionalism’ and the myths of American education. … He gives us workable ideas that improve teachers through emphasis on teacher collegiality, development of higher esteem among teachers, teacher mentorship programs, different work schedules for teachers and more significant involvement in curriculum building. Keith’s book provides a genesis for a rebirth of American schools.”—William Frantz, EdD and retired Canadian educational administrator“[Ballard is] the first schoolteacher I have met in the United States who has taken it upon him or herself in a serious way to understand what these countries that are vastly outperforming us are doing and to accept the thought that they might actually have something to teach us. I have spent my life trying to help make teaching a profession, and what [he is] doing is what a real professional in education ought to be doing. So I see [Ballard] as a pioneer.”—Marc Tucker, founder of the National Center on Education and the Economy“This is the medicine many of America’s educators don’t want to take. Don’t blame the messenger for the realistic and honest diagnosis of our educational system.”—Marcus Butler, associate professor in Southern California
✔ Author(s): Keith Ballard,Brooke Staggs
✔ Title: Stealing from the World's Best Schools: What One U.S. Teacher Learned by Visiting Countries that are Doing Education Right
✔ Rating : 5 out of 5 base on (20 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: B0B4BHQQ7Z
✔ ISBN-13: 978B0B4BHQQ77
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Stealing from the World's Best Schools by Keith Ballard
Beata Shepard
This book has reignited my passion for reading. It reminded me of the sheer joy that can be found in losing oneself in the pages of a good story. I can't wait to explore more books now.
Sydney Richardson
What an intellectual journey! The themes explored in this book challenged my perceptions and sparked introspection. It's refreshing to read a book that provokes such thought.
Kara Snyder
The plot twists were executed masterfully. I was left gasping at every unexpected turn, and the suspense kept me on edge throughout. Bravo to the author for keeping me guessing.
