As an educational researcher with over two decades of experience, Bressler brings pertinence and insight to her work. It is a timely piece of literature that underscores the massive flaws in America's educational system and its residual effects on the overall development of the student. For far too long, the whispers of a system that isn't working at its most optimum to benefit students have been growing; Bressler's research punctuates these whispers with resounding force and a wealth of information that lends credence to the notion that there are fundamental pitfalls in the current way of doing things.

While there are now more school counselors, mental health staff, etc., to bolster the comprehensive well-being of a student from the academic, career, and personal social side, one can argue that real change cannot happen until the paradigm itself changes. For instance, the emphasis on grades has reached a level where families fear their son or daughter's college hopes will be ruined with a single B. In essence, Bressler argues that good grades neither indicate learning nor foreshadow future success. On the contrary, grades are simply an antiquated measuring system that fosters competition over collaboration and students' desire to "figure the system out." In fact, countless students, anecdotally, will acknowledge that they simply figured out how a particular course broke down or how a specific teacher taught, and then they fit within their system. The guide, conversely, is adamant that while this process produces an A, it is not remotely close to being conducive to creating a true learning environment where students are comfortable having their ideas heard.

Using simplified case studies, the author is able to drive home her main points with ease and energy. In her quest to urge stakeholders to rethink the basic foundation of the educational system, for instance, she shares the story of a seventh-grader who finally learns how to read. Sadly, like in nearly all aspects of life, schools are adept at the practice of division. Whether high level, low level, AP or college preparatory, or ESL, students are constantly grouped and tracked, with the upper echelon of students getting significantly better and more meaningful instruction than their peers. Although her research is compelling in its own right, Bressler helpfully cites several other scholars and researchers who give added weight and insight to her arguments.

The author boldly speaks for the educators whose voices are routinely silenced, particularly in the areas of curriculum and testing. The text also efficiently tackles the dilemma of test-taking as the primary evaluation measure. Unsurprisingly, certain systems like the University of California at the university level have already removed standardized testing from their review process, and the hope would be a trickle-down process that directly reaches the K-12 educational system. Even further, the author effectively argues that the system is making a crucial mistake by constricting students into rigid structures and formulas. On the contrary, their imaginations and minds should be released, free to exhibit their creative pursuits and think outside the box, where the most complex problems are often solved. To foster a culture of fear about making a mistake is seen as simply ludicrous in a twenty-first-century educational system. The author points to the necessity of collaboration and reveals how students find it in many other arenas, chiefly the routinely criticized gaming world.

Overall, Bressler's work is tailor-made to increase student self-efficacy and help people unlearn decades of compliance to a system that rarely serves the student, much less their need for learning. As raw as they come, this work is a potent, captivating guide to awaken stakeholders from their slumber and turn the wheels of change toward true learning, both for themselves and their students.

A 2022 Eric Hoffer Book Award Montaigne Medal Finalist

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

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