I received this ARC earlier this year and slowly consumed it while I finished my teaching credential.

Found myself agreeing with numerous points the author was making, however, none of these points were original/new. Many are against the aged blank slate ideology, many are against pointless “teaching to the test” standardized state testing, many believe IQ is at least partially inheritable as well as academic performance paired with it, etc.

The one thing this “firebrand leftist” will catch sh*t for from contemporary educators is the belief that not all children are academically capable even if given additional help and head starts. There is an attitude in current-day academia that all children are of equal ability if just given the opportunity to excel—this is why much of the lingo has transferred from issues of equality to issues of equity. Many parents and educators alike are aware that different families with different socioeconomic backgrounds end up having different academic success in their children.

The last chapter is just a regurgitation of ho-hum socialism that is currently being co-opted by social liberals like Bernie Sanders, and to some extent, Elizabeth Warren. I’m not a leftist, yet I read the book with an open and honest mind. Despite that, I couldn’t find anything persuasive enough for me to fully embrace his vision. I’m not sure who this education-reform-through-a-Marxist-lens book would truly appeal to as conservatives won’t have it, liberals somewhat agree, and most leftists (progressives and an-coms) are already there. Perhaps the author is really hoping left-of-center liberals that thrive on CNN will change their minds and embrace the Marxist utopia.

Either way, it wasn’t bad, but I won’t need to revisit this book at a later date.

I received an early review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.