April 26, 2016
Providence, RI - Catherine Lutz, the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Family Professor of International Studies at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, has won the 2016 Society of Professors of Education (SPE) Book Award, for Schooled: Ordinary, Extraordinary Teaching in an Age of Change, which she co-wrote with Anne Lutz Fernandez. Published by the Teachers College Press of Columbia University, the book highlights teachers’ experiences and opinions on critical educational problems, as well as many of the solutions put forth, including revamped teacher evaluations, curricular standardization, and increased testing and data collection.
“Teachers are the experts to whom we should be turning for insight on how to design the truly necessary reforms to a system that cannot be meaningfully bettered without their input,” said Lutz and Fernandez. Nine teachers from that many states are featured in the book, representing different educational settings (from public school to Catholic school to homeschooling), sharing their challenges and joys, educational philosophy and methods, and reflections on the profession and state of education. The two traveled around the country over the course of a year, speaking with teachers and observing them in their classrooms and communities, and interacting with students, parents, and colleagues.
“Schooled is a fascinating journey into the lives of nine American teachers--all different but tied together by the dedication, passion and hope to change young people’s lives. Everyone who thinks that teaching is so easy that anyone can do it must read this book. As they say, teaching is not rocket science; it’s more complicated than that.” – Pasi Sahlberg, author of Finnish Lessons 2.0
“Schooled pays tribute to passionate, informed educators, but directly challenges the reforms now being forced upon them. The book is an electrifying and inspiring must-read for teachers and everyone concerned with the fate of our schools.” – Lesley Bartlett, Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
About Catherine Lutz
Catherine Lutz is the Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Family Professor of International Studies and a professor of anthropology at Brown University. An author and co-author of multiple books, her interests include war and security, militarization, peacekeeping, and gender. Lutz heads the Watson Institute project, Costs of War.
About Anne Lutz Fernandez
A former marketer and investment banker, Anne Lutz Fernandez has been a middle and high school English teacher in the Connecticut public school system for the past fifteen years. She has co-authored two books and her writing on transportation and education has appeared in publications worldwide.
About the Society of Professor of Education (SPE)
SPE is a professional and academic association for people engaged in teacher preparation, curriculum studies, educational foundations, and related activities. The Society’s primary goal is to provide a forum for consideration of major issues, tasks, problems, and challenges confronting professional educations. SPE is an interdisciplinary organization whose members include both scholars and practitioners in education.