 Children as Pawns: The Politics of Educational Reformreviewed by Sandra Vergari - 2003  Title: Children as Pawns: The Politics of Educational ReformAuthor(s): Timothy A. Hacsi Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge ISBN: 0674007441 , Pages: 261, Year: 2002 Search for book at Amazon.com Despite its provocative title, this book focuses largely on reviewing research rather than on political dynamics. The book would have been more useful for readers with an interest in education politics and policy if its analytical focus had been on how politics have shaped education policy, as suggested by the book’s title. Policymakers are discussed only occasionally, and Hacsi does not frame his discussion with findings and insights from the research literatures on public policy, the politics of education, or the politics of research. Four of the five policy chapters emphasize mass media reports, yet Hacsi does not discuss how and why mass media coverage matters for education policy. The book discusses evaluation research on five controversial education issues: Head Start, bilingual education, class size, social promotion, and school finance. For each of the five issues, Hacsi provides helpful background information and discussion of policy change over time. At the outset of each chapter, Hacsi presents two quotes that express opposing viewpoints on the education issue addressed in... (preview truncated at 150 words.) To view the full-text for this article you must be signed-in with the appropriate membership. Please review your options below:
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