This work aims to help teachers, teacher educators, policy makers, and parents think more critically about current rhetoric about education. Special education, multicultural education, and standardized testing are among the controversial issues explored.

According to James M. Kauffman, too much of what is said today about educational reform is nonsense that shortchanges students, parents, and taxpayers. This deforms education rather than reforming it. This work aims to help teachers, teacher educators, policy makers, and parents think more critically about current rhetoric about education. Reason and science in the enlightenment tradition are more helpful in reforming and improving education rather than political agendas. Reform should focus on instruction. Education must address the full range of learners, from those who are mentally retarded to those who are intellectually gifted.Special education, multicultural education, and standardized testing are among the controversial issues explored. Extremes of both left and right ideologies are rejected in favour of careful thinking and sound judgement.