Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Educational Issues 17th Edition

I bought this in 2013 for a required college course in education.Presentation | 2 stars: I found this book tedious because of the essay format. The YES/NO format was also not exciting for me to sift through and read. I mean seriously, who wants to sit and read essays? The author could have definitely made this book more interesting by presenting the material in another way.Interesting | 3 stars: As far as how interesting the book is, it just isn't. I am now in my final year of college and have been required to buy at least 15 other textbooks. This one would be at the bottom of my list for interesting educational textbooks.Easy to understand | 1 star: The size makes it seem exciting when you first receive it. Everyone wants a tiny textbook to carry around. However, once you open it, you are transported into the world of boring textbooks with small fonts. If this is your required reading, then become familiar with the glossary, overviews, and index rather than the content itself.Price | 5 stars: The only feature of the book that gets 5 stars is the cheap price.Relevancy | 2 stars: I do not believe that the material is relevant to current teachers because no modern teacher would want to read the book. As a person who has just begun in the classroom setting, I still remember the boredom I felt when reading this. That is definitely not a good sign.I did sell this right after the semester was over.

I like the format of this text - it provides the reader with 21 current issues in public education to consider - with quality articles providing insight into both major points of view. I had to purchase this book for my course work in my post-master Ed.S. degree program. It is an interesting read - but not for everyone. It is thought provoking to say the least.Larry

I rented this textbook for one of my Masters in Education classes. In the class we read a few articles each day of class and used the pro and con article about each subject to start a debate over each issue. I would have liked the issues to be more global with a bit more focus on international education, but other than that, I found it very useful.

Clear presentations of current issues that relate to educational organization and schooling. I like this book because it presents clear arguments for and against the issue at hand. I would highly recommend this text.

This was a required text for a college course. Although it was sometimes hard to follow, it was a good book for the class. It was in excellent condition and it provided me with what I needed.

I got this for a class to get my MEd. It really helped me write a paper and I liked how the author found articles for both sides of the argument he was presenting

"Taking Sides" covers a wide variety of issues pertinent to today's turbulent educational scene. The pro's and con's of topics such as the privatization of education (charter schools), the purposes of public education, etc. are discussed. Every issue is presented with opinions from educational experts and pundits, past and present. As with any serious subject "caveat emptor" - read each opinion with a jaundiced eye!

I did not buy this book for my own enjoyment but for a class. It was in great condition and packed with master level information. Thanks James Noll.

I used this in my Master's degree. Some articles were very well written in simple language while others were vague with their jargon. A few went to absolute extremes in their views. All in all an interesting read concerning real educational issues educators face today. Would recommend for teachers and students pursuing higher education degrees.