Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

344 Corp., Lawrence J. Stupski; Cybernet Systems Co., Heidi Jacobs; Eastman Kodak Co., George Fisher; H.J. Russell & Co., Herman J. Russell; ImmunoGen, Inc., Mitchell Sayare; Manpower Corporation, Mitchell Fromstein; McDonald’s USA, Ed Rensi; New England Medical Center, Jerome H.Grossman; Pacer Systems, Inc., John C. Rennie; Peavey Electronics Corp., Melia Peavey; Phillips Display Components, Dr. Iva Wilson, president; Siemens Corporation, Albert Hoser, president and C.E.O.; the Taubman Company, Al Taubman, chairman; Thom McAn Shoe Company, Larry McVey, president; UNUM Corporation, James F. Orr, III, chairman and C.E.O.; and Will-Burt Company, Harry Featherstone, chairman and C.E.O. W EDNESDAY , D ECEMBER 28, 1994 ISSUE OF T HE W ALL S TREET J OURNAL CARRIED AN AR ticle under its column Critical Thought entitled “Acclaimed Reforms of U.S. Education Are Popular but Unproven—Ted Sizer’s Methods Stress Reasoning over Rote: Gains Aren’t Measurable—Am biguity and Faculty Battles.” Sizer’s Coalition of Essential Schools, considered by many to be the centerpiece of national education reform, proves to be more workable in theory than in practice. Some excerpts follow: