Getting Education Right

“Hess and McShane are two of the smartest—and, more important, wisest—experts on education we have.” —Ramesh Ponnuru, editor, National Review

“Rich in history, fact, and perspective.” —William Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education

“Whether readers are searching for ideas to add to an existing program or what to subtract (or even what to modify), Getting Education Right can be motivating and educating.” —School Administrator

In Getting Education Right, Rick Hess and Mike McShane argue that America has too long suffered from the absence of a robust, coherent, and principled conservative vision for educational improvement. This book both diagnoses a problem and offers a solution.

The problem? The right has too narrowly focused on school choice, campus speech, and shrinking Washington’s footprint, while the left has sought to subsidize and supersize the status quo.

The solution? An education system imbued with shared values, respectful of family ties, and equipped for the challenges of the 21st century.

Rooted in fundamental conservative principles, the authors explain both how we got here and where we need to go when it comes to early childhood, K–12, and higher education. Eschewing performative polemics, this book offers a field guide to bringing education back to its formative mission. Readers from across the ideological spectrum will benefit from engaging with the provocative analysis Hess and McShane offer, whether or not they agree with the policies they propose. Education is the foundation on which America’s future will be constructed, and Getting Education Right provides a timely blueprint for that project.

Book Features:

• A conservative vision for the direction of American education in early childhood, K–12, and higher education.
• A stimulating and informative presentation for audiences across the ideological spectrum.
• An explanation of what it means to be a conservative in education today applied to a series of crucial questions about American schooling.
• A readable and accessible text with plenty of anecdotes, provocative data points, and real-world solutions.
• Authors who are especially well-suited to this task given their prominence as influential conservative scholars and pundits.