Thirteenth Man: A Reagan Cabinet Memoir - Hardcover

Bell, former secretary of education, describes with remarkable equanimity the precarious position of the Department of Education. As he tells it, his original exhilaration at being among the nation's decision makers began to fade early on for a variety of reasons: he learned that cabinet members dubbed his post "a bureaucratic joke"; he encountered hobbling budget restraints; and daily internecine struggles in the White House undermined his public stance of carrying out the president's election platform of educational reform. Bell presents the story behind the promulgation of "A Nation at Risk," the highly publicized report his department issued on the quality of American education, and on his ambiguous exit from the cabinet. In his report of his experiences serving in the Reagan administration, Bell, who now teaches at the University of Utah, provides an instructive glimpse into the political process.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bell, former U.S. Secretary of Education, presents a fascinating inside look at the political realities and difficulties of assuring a continuing strong federal role for education. He focuses on the origins of the educational reform movement in 1983 with the Nation at Risk report (National Commission on Excellence in Education) and believes we are not educating our people to live effectively and competitively in the 21st century. He emphasizes education's direct bearing on the economic, political, and social well-being of the nation and its influence abroad, and provides great insight into the need for intelligent, skilled, and productive citizens. For academic and public libraries. Pat Wollter, Ruben Salazar Lib., Sonoma State Univ., Rohnert Park, Cal.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.