Mark Anderson reviewed Tinkering toward utopia by David B. Tyack
Review of 'Tinkering toward utopia' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This book was written in 1995, yet it remains eerily relevant. Which goes to show that the study of history is worth the investment -- at least when it comes to public education. You'll come away from this book with a healthy dose of skepticism towards any starry eyed ed reform pitch. I'd recommend reading this alongside Dana Goldstein's "Teacher Wars" for more on the historical cycles of education policy. The author's recommendations for viewing ed policies as hypotheses to be tested by practitioners who can hybridize it with other techniques are cogent and insightful. And they are one of the few who acknowledge the great complexity of the enterprise of education. Highly recommended, and a fairly quick read to boot.