USA Today: Public schools have been testing students for more than a century, but education journalist Anya Kamenetz says the level of testing we’re doing now is “unprecedented.” There’s been a lot of push-back over testing lately, but Kamenetz says many people “aren’t necessarily questioning the fundamental premise behind it.”
Boston Globe: The value of Anya Kamenetz’s new book, “The Test,” lies in her ability to avoid the soapbox style of too many books on education reform today. Her journalistic talents coupled with her role as a mother of a student on the brink of testing humanizes this book, making it a perfect entry for parents who are too deep in the muck of testing to have the clarity of distance.
Inside Higher Ed: GIven my misgivings about the conceptual underpinnings of her earlier work, I was a little reluctant to read The Test. But I’m happy to report that her reportage has become more thoughtful, without losing its energy or accessibility. It’s a strong, smart, readable, and intellectually honest book….
I approached The Test warily, but came away impressed. Kamenetz manages to find grounds for optimism in a subject that could lend itself to fatalism, and she does it without dismissing the needs that the status quo serves. She has kept the energy and readability of her earlier work, while adding something like wisdom.