“A passionate case for a return to Jefferson’s values after decades spent chasing higher graduation rates, glittering college-enrollment numbers and top standardized-test scores.” —New York Post
“The collection offers many thoughtful, ambitious ways of understanding the social, cultural, and civic functions schools ought to play.” —Public Books
“Solid and informed, the book explains the context of education reforms today and proposes a future path that many conservatives will support….Congratulations to Petrilli and Finn for their heroic effort to try to refocus conservatives on reforms in public education. They have assembled an informative and articulate set of writers who offer readers stimulating ideas all in one volume.” —Mark C. Schug, Library of Economics and Liberty
“Each author clearly articulates his or her vision for public schools and does so in a thoughtful and reflective manner. The chapters address meaningful topics related to student learning and the critical role public schools play. While the work focuses on nationwide policy questions, it is very applicable to advocacy work at the statehouse. Its depth will help superintendents and board of education members gain more knowledge about these topics and help them to engage in deeper conversations with elected officials.” —Justin B. Henry, superintendent, Goddard Public Schools, Goddard, Kansas, School Administrator
"Timely and necessary....lays the intellectual groundwork for a policy agenda that conservatives should strongly consider....state and local leaders would be wise to read How to Educate an American." —Law & Liberty
"Together, the book’s authors and editors articulate the great need for reform at all levels of American education and present a compelling vision of what education might look like if everyone involved—from policymakers to parents—finds the political will to do it." —The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal
"Petrilli and Finn are realistic reformers....the two do not underestimate the difficulty of fighting the K–12 establishment’s resistance. Yet the coeditors capture the spirit and direction of the volume in their conclusion, which boils down the book’s purpose to three critical themes: fostering informed citizenship based on history and civic knowledge; restoring character, virtue, and morality as important for all schools; and building an education system that confers dignity, respect, and opportunity for every student. Those who want to strengthen the school’s role as a critical mediating institution that transmits the best of our culture to future citizens are advised to read and ponder this volume." —Modern Age
"How to Educate an American offers insight into what the relationship between conservatism and American education may look like in the future." —City Journal
"If you’re interested in education policy and want to get a grasp on how conservatives view education reform, How to Educate an American is definitely a worthwhile read." —Psychology Today
"How successful we are in educating the next generation of Americans will determine our nation’s future. This collection of essays from leading conservative minds is the conversation-starter we need. How to Educate an American is a welcome contribution to our understanding of what ails our schools and how to fix them." —Jeb Bush, 43rd Governor of Florida
“It is a commonplace to observe that our national success depends in large part on the effectiveness of our K-12 education system. There the agreement ends, and we have sharp differences about how to reshape and improve that system. Regardless of point of view, those who want to enter this debate owe it to themselves to absorb the facts and reflect on the insights of this remarkable collection of thought leaders.” —Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., president of Purdue University and Indiana’s 49th Governor
“A thorough, thoughtful, and critical attempt to bring conservative thought into a central and productive relationship with American schools. It begs for an equally deep response.” —Richard Elmore, research professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
"For many years, conservatives have struggled to explain just what we're ‘for’ when it comes to education. In this invaluable volume, Petrilli and Finn have assembled a dazzling array of conservative thought leaders to answer that question. Whether a reader is seeking conservative counsel or simply trying to understand how conservatives think about schooling, this collection of lucid, challenging, and immensely readable essays is just the ticket." —Frederick M. Hess, director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute
"These essays seek to grapple with a set of important topics, and they do so in a variety of interesting and challenging ways. The contributors don't seek to peddle a new orthodoxy; they challenge us to think about a fundamental civic challenge." —William Kristol, director, Defending Democracy Together
"This volume presents an opportunity to access in one source a plethora of views on a conservative vision and its rationale for American education. Some permit a provocative contrast with politically liberal views; some would leave education to the school and economic marketplace and others to the needs of particular groups of students with educational needs. This provides considerable diversity of perspectives for a single volume on How to Educate an American.” —Henry M. Levin, David Jacks Professor, Emeritus, of Higher Education and Economics, Stanford University and William H. Kilpatrick Professor, Emeritus, of Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University
"Many of the most important policy debates for the future of America are getting no oxygen right now. In How to Educate an American we get access to a dozen and a half big arguments, and you should hear every one of them." —Ben Sasse, United States Senator from Nebraska
