Spring 2021
The Case Against Education by Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education Despite being immensely popular--and immensely lucrative--education is grossly overrated. In this explosive book, Bryan Caplan argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skill but to certify their intelligence, work ethic, and conformity--in other words, to signal the qualities of a good employee. Learn why students hunt for easy As and casually forget most of what they learn after the final exam, why decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for the average worker but instead in runaway credential inflation, how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely if ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy. Caplan draws on the latest social science to show how the labor market values grades over knowledge, and why the more education your rivals have, the more you need to impress employers. He explains why graduation is our society's top conformity signal, and why even the most useless degrees can certify employability. He advocates two major policy responses. The first is educational austerity. Government needs to sharply cut education funding to curb this wasteful rat race. The second is more vocational education, because practical skills are more socially valuable than teaching students how to outshine their peers. – Fall 2020
A Girl Stands at the Door by A new history of school desegregation in America, revealing how girls and women led the fight for interracial education The struggle to desegregate America's schools was a grassroots movement, and young women were its vanguard. In the late 1940s, parents began to file desegregation lawsuits with their daughters, forcing Thurgood Marshall and other civil rights lawyers to take up the issue and bring it to the Supreme Court. After the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, girls far outnumbered boys in volunteering to desegregate formerly all-white schools. In A Girl Stands at the Door, historian Rachel Devlin tells the remarkable stories of these desegregation pioneers. She also explains why black girls were seen, and saw themselves, as responsible for the difficult work of reaching across the color line in public schools. Highlighting the extraordinary bravery of young black women, this bold revisionist account illuminates today's ongoing struggles for equality. - Fall 2020
Let Her Fly by Let Her Fly traces the inspirational journey of Malala Yousafzai's father, Ziauddin, from a boy in Shangla to a man who broke with tradition and proves there are many faces of feminism. With humor and sincerity, Yousafzai describes his life before the Talibanization of Mingora, scenes of his sons Khusal and Atal fighting kites on the roof, his progressive partnership with his wife Toor Pekai, and the challenge of raising children in an unfamiliar country. After Malala was shot by the Taliban, the Yousafzai family was completely uprooted from their home in the Swat Valley and forced to start over in the United Kingdom. Now, Ziauddin expresses the complex pain and joy of his return, six years later, to the site of Malala's attack. Let Her Fly is an intimate family portrait by the father of one of the most remarkable leaders in the world today. Ziauddin and Toor Pakai have set a singular example for parents who hope to empower their children to make a difference. Let Her Fly will resonate with anyone who has ever cared for a child, as Ziauddin Yousafzai shares what he's learned from his children, and what he hopes to teach the world. - Fall 2020
Supporting Slcn in Children with Autism Spectrum Conditions in the Early Years by With growing numbers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) being diagnosed in the early years, it is becoming increasingly important for education and health professionals to understand ASD and to implement supportive strategies as part of the everyday curriculum and routine. This book serves as an essential tool kit for anyone working with young children with ASD and speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN). Filled with practical and up-to-date tips, advice, and guidance, it shifts the responsibility of change from the child onto the caregiver, asking the question: what can we do to support the child? Key features of this book include the following: An introduction to ASD Detailed case studies illustrating the varied impacts ASD can have on the life of a child Practical activities and resources, including planning sheets and activity suggestions Easy-to-follow chapters focusing on the classroom environment, communication, social interaction, play, and behaviour Comprehensive, practical, and evidence based, this manual is essential reading for anyone working with children experiencing social communication difficulties and ASD in an early years setting. – Fall 2020