Reconstructing Instructional Success with Daniel Buck

In this episode of Author Chats, we hear from Daniel Buck, author of What Is Wrong With Our Schools? The ideology impoverishing education in America and how we can do better for our students. John Catt Educational recently published the book. Daniel discusses restructuring instructional success for students, teachers, and administrators. 

Centering Instructional Success

What is Wrong With Our Schools is written from the perspective of educators and educational stakeholders who have seen students struggle. The book takes a stand on progressive learning strategies. In contrast, Daniel intends to counterbalance many popular misconceptions about student learning. One interesting topic the book discusses is reframing the point of education. Daniel’s primarily focus is the content students need to learn. 

Where Does Instructional Success Begin?

“Progressive education wasn’t always the norm. It was a happenstance in history that at the same time teachers training became under the purview of universities that progressive education were popular at the time. Therefore, progressive education became associate with ‘the experts.’ Before then Classical education was the norm. [Change] begins with more traditional texts on university curricula in Teacher prep programs. It begins with teachers beginning to advocate for cognitive science, the science of reading. It begins with building up institutions like TeachLikeAChamion and ResearchEd who are doing the work of training teachers in traditional approaches to the classroom and pedagogies that have real research backing behind them.” 

Advocating for Instructional Change

Daniel is a strong proponent of advocating for change. The purpose of his book is to provide a great foundation for teachers, parents, and all educational stakeholders to advocate for positive student learning. Daniel explores how advocacy can create change and better student outcomes throughout this episode.