Students everywhere are harder to reach and teach, their attention and motivation less reliable, their language and behavior more provocative.  This is largely because parents, suffering a widespread loss of confidence and competence, are increasingly anxious about their children’s success, yet increasingly unable to support and guide them--and increasingly assertive and adversarial vis a vis the school.  Examining these trends and their underlying causes, Evans calls for a combination of limits and leverage.  At the policy level, we must rethink our notions of accountability, accepting the reality that schools cannot overcome all the forces that affect children’s lives and learning.  At the schoolhouse, educators can improve their impact by clarifying and asserting purpose (core values) and conduct (norms for behavior), and by becoming more appropriately parental vis à vis students and parents.  Evans outlines concrete ways to implement these measures, and closes with a reflection on ways to sustain hope and commitment in the face of unprecedented challenge.

שם הספר
The Kid Stays in the Picture