Renowned education journalist Ronald A. Wolk--the founder and former editor of "Education Week" and "Teacher Magazine"--skewers the conventional wisdom of the day about education reform and illuminates a way forward to higher student achievement. Learn why so many assumptions guiding political and educational leaders--standards and testing, longer school days/years, pushing advanced math classes--have little prospect of achieving results. And explore a new strategy forward following promising innovations such as individualizing instruction, performance assessments, and restructuring public education. This book is divided into two parts. Part I, Flawed Assumptions, includes the following chapters: (1) The "Get-Tough" Policy; (2) All Standards for All Students; (3) If It Moves, Test It; (4) Make Them Take Algebra; (5) Wanted: Great Teachers; (6) The Quest for the Supreme Leader; (7) The Dropout Epidemic; (8) Time for What?; (9) Never Enough Money; and (10) A New Strategy of New Schools. Part II, A Second, Parallel Strategy, includes the following chapters: (11) One Student at a Time; (12) Many Pathways to Success; (13) Life to Text; (14) It's the Work That Counts; (15) Start Them Early; (16) A New Role for Teachers; (17) A Matter of Choice; (18) Schools for Digital Natives; and (19) Conclusion: Can We Get There from Here?. Preface, introduction, references, related ASCD resources and a study guide for this book are also included.