50 myths & lies that threaten America's public schools : the real crisis in education

I. Myths, hoaxes, and outright lies

II. Myths and lies about who's best: charters, privates, maybe Finland? International tests show that the United States has a second-rate education system

Private schools are better than public schools

Charter schools are better than traditional public schools

Charter schools are private schools

Cyberschools are an efficient, cost-saving, and highly effective means of delivering education

Home schooled children are better educated than those who attend regular public schools

School choice and competition work to improve all schools. Vouchers, tuition tax credits, and charter schools inject competition into the education system and "raise all boats."

Want to find the best high schools in America? Ask Newsweek or U.S. News

III. Myths and lies about teachers and the teaching profession: teachers are "everything," that's why we blame them and their unions. Teachers are the most important influence in a child's education

Teachers in the United States are well-paid

Merit pay is a good way to increase the performance of teachers. Teachers should be evaluated on the basis of the performance of their students. Rewarding and punishing schools for the performance of their students will improve our nation's schools

Teachers in schools that serve the poor are not very talented

Teach for America teachers are well trained, highly qualified, and get amazing results

Subject matter knowledge is the most important asset a teacher can possess

Teachers' unions are responsible for much poor school performance. Incompetent teachers cannot be fired if they have tenure

Judging teacher education programs by means of the scores that their teachers' students get on state tests is a good way to judge the quality of the teacher education program

IV. Myths and lies about how to make our nation's schools better. Class size does not matter; reducing class sizes will not result in more learning

Retaining children in grade

"flunking" them

helps struggling students catch up and promotes better classroom instruction for all

Tracking, or separating slow and fast learners, is an efficient and productive way to organize teaching. Gifted classes and special schools for our most talented students benefit both individuals and society

Immersion programs ("sink or swim") for English language learners are better than bilingual education programs

Preserving heritage language among English language learners is bad for them

Abstinence-only educational programs work to reduce sexual contact and unwanted pregnancies among school children

Homework boosts achievement

Group projects waste children's time and punish the most talented

School uniforms improve achievement and attendance

Longer school days and weeks have big payoffs for achievement

If a program works well in one school or district, it should be imported and expected to work well elsewhere

Zero-tolerance policies are making schools safer

The benefits of preschool and kindergarten programs are not convincing and thus not worth the investment

Character education will save America's youth and strengthen the nation's moral fiber

Bullying is inevitable; it's just kids. It's a rite of passage. The national effort to eliminate bullying is effectively addressing the problem in our schools

American K-12 education is being dumbed down

Mayoral control of public schools has paid off in terms of student achievement

Forced integration has failed

V. Myths and lies about how our nation's schools are paid for: all schools are equal, but some are more equal than others. Money doesn't matter! We're spending more money than ever, but test scores are stagnant

The money available to school districts is spread equally across their schools

In America, public money is not used to support religious schools

Education benefits children individually, not the public in general; so supporting education for all past a minimal level

8th grade or 12th grade, say

is hardly justifiable

Tuition tax credits for families that choose private schools are appropriate, since they are spending their own money to educate their children

Tuition tax credits and education savings accounts are helping many poor children escape failing public schools and enroll in excellent private schools

Portfolio management models of schooling will increase district performance

VI. Myths and lies about making all students career and college ready. All kids can learn. Schools can teach all students to the point of mastery

Our nation's economy is suffering because our education system is not producing enough scientists, engineers, and mathematicians

The United States has had to create special passport guidelines to import scientists and engineers because our education system cannot produce enough of them

High school exit exams guarantee that our graduates will be "college ready" and prepared to succeed as workers in a global economy

Advanced placement (AP) courses are providing minority students an opportunity to get a head start on a college education

College admissions are based on students' achievement in grades K-12 and their SAT or ACT scores

Education will lift the poor out of poverty and materially enrich our entire nation

IQ tests predict success in life. That's why schools use them to form ability groups and pick students for gifted or special-needs tracks

The schools are wasting their time trying to teach problem solving, creativity, and general thinking skills; they would be better off teaching the facts students need to succeed in school and later in life