The Troubled Crusade: American Education, 1945-1980 by Diane Ravitch

The Troubled Crusade: American Education, 1945-1980 Reviews

• 
  Craig Werner

  An influential historican/educator who played a major role in the development of education policy from the late 80s to the present, Ravitch is very good when she's writing about the arguments the ebbs and flows in the arguments concerning structure vs. freedom in American education. I benefited from her summaries of which reports and books influenced the ways schools operated in the wake of Sputnik, the upheavals of the 60s and the retrenchments of the 70s. At times I grew impatient with the way her preferences (which she's rethought over the years, something I value) shape her analysis. She's certainly right to point out the contradictions of the student movements on college campuses during the Vietnam and Black Power eras, but she pays almost no attention to the larger canvass. It's not possible to understand the excesses of the movements at Berkeley, Columbia, Cornell, etc., without clearly recognizing the near-absolute refusal of the LBJ and Nixon administrations to respond to legitimate--which Ravitch would call "rational"--protest. In general, she's much better on elementary and middle schools than high schools and, especially, colleges and universities. I'm glad I read the book; it thickened my knowledge of the educational disputes of the sixties, but readers coming to Ravitch for the first time, especially those interested in contemporary education, should very definitely start with The Death and Life of the Great American School.
• 
  Hava

  This is a long and serious look at education - the history of elementary schools to prestigious colleges. It was well-written - if it had been dry, I would have quit reading long before I got to the end. It was simply too long to slog through while being bored to tears. But on the other hand, it was dense enough that I had to read it only during my lunch break at work. Otherwise, it got overwhelming.
  
  If you're an education major or someone heavily involved in education, and you want an unbiased look at the history of education in America, this is the book for you. Ravitch is even-handed in her treatment of most sensitive "political" topics, and I had more than a few "Oh, I see" moments, as she explained why we got to where we are today. Considering I wasn't born until 1981, I've never known anything different, so I found it fascinating to see how we wound our way here.
  
  However, it is obviously dated - the book basically stops in 1980. The last 30 years of education are not covered. I'm guessing that more current books by Ravitch will fill in the pieces gaps in history. I look forward to reading more of her books.
• 
  Mike

  This is an excellent book by an excellent historian and writer. There's nothing new or groundbreaking here (well, it was published 20 years ago, but I mean I don't think there was anything new in it then, either), but it's a great survey history of education in the United States in the 20th century, and of lots of other things in 20th century American history, too. Well organized, well told, and very readable (even occasionally riveting in some places, believe it or not).
• 
  AJ

  Weighty and thick. Good info on how policy mingles with education. This would have been a tough read w/o the motivation of grad school.