"For pulling back the curtain WHEN he did, A.J. Kaufman deserves a lot of credit. The easy, self-preserving path would have been to button his lip, work hard for two years, get tenured, then start to writing these opinions of how California's educational system needed change. But rather than hypocritically accepting what he saw around him, he spoke up. That takes real courage."
"One of Kaufman's strengths is his use of narrative to underscore what he sees as the major problems with modern public education. It's one thing to cite statistics and draw conclusions based on those statistics. It's quite another to see how those statistics came into being. Without getting too technical, Kaufman gives us the insight that only a teacher could provide in a debate on public education, and he does so with a light, yet serious tone. It's this tone that helps to make the book a quick and enjoyable read."
"Mr. Kaufman's accounts of things such as imparting political philosophy towards primary school classes, and the power of teachers unions to block initiatives that help students in order to protect their own interests; they are clear, concise, and very intriging to read. Through strong, mostly first-person accounts, Kaufman "opens the book", so to speak, on some of the corrupting influences that are affecting the public education process in today's society. The content in the book forces the reader to engage and think about what kind of role, if any, they can play in a process that does seem very important to our country's future."
"Kaufman uses the pages to point out specific issues with corresponding solutions. He puts his money where his mouth is by starting with actual letters to various editors that were published during his teaching days that highlight these problems, then dissects the issue using examples and offers for the most part sensible solutions. For example, it is maddening to read about items such as merit pay, an idea that not only makes sense but is standard practice in corporate America, that cannot see the light of day because the union wants to protect its members."
"Mr. Kaufman makes a great many strong, valid points, and the anecdotal material is very valuable. It is clear to the reader that he loved teaching, cared deeply about the children and about the profession, and was wounded by the inscrutable and indefatigable public school system, a dinosaur which refuses to die out. Any means of raising awareness about occurrences like this and the forces that drive them are far more meaningful and effective advocates for education reform than either political party's rote proposals."
"The book also give me hope. Because although Kaufman has left his calling in life that he has a pssion for, I know that there are other teachers out there who are passionate about their profession as Kaufman was. Hopefully those like Kaufman will read this book and realize that they can no longer sit on the sidelines - that they must become involved to right the ship. And the ultimate hope is that Kaufman himself returns to the classroom."
A Year in Americana: Cultural and Travel adventures in our unique nation (2006)
Raised along the coasts, surrounded by family and friends who felt, especially after the 2000 presidential election, that the states in America’s middle section simply existed for people to fly over, Ari Kaufman was baffled by such naive logic. With the ample vacation time during summer, winter, spring and extended weekends granted to him as a teacher, Ari made it a point to explore all of America to as much a degree as time and money would allow...
In order to best understand the world around us, reading the works of great authors on intriguing subjects is imperative. Otherwise, as a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, recently opined:
“Democrats seem to frequently ignore the lessons of history, and they do so in 2008 at their own peril."
Here are some of the best books I've recently read. To see all the reviews I have posted on Amazon, please click here:
G-d Bless America!