The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America: A Chronological Paper Trail

Iserbyt’s work in this compilation is an important, but not a pleasant read. While she has written much shorter opinion type books; this is her masterwork and notebook. So what is it? It is her history, description, and discussion of the creation of the disaster that is today’s K-12 education.

At 700 plus pages and including numerous quotations, excepts, and appendices; the scope and detail provided is mind numbing. The process and 140 year history that she provides are frightening. Yet Charlotte Iserbyt’s “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America” is exactly what the subtitle says it is: “A Chronological Paper Trail”.

I can give no better review or explanation than she did in her last words: “The author hopes and prays that show more that the greatest number of elected officials will read this book and take the necessary courageous action to reverse the situation which, if left unattended, represents a grave threat to the freedom of our nation.” The threat she refers to is the transformation of America into a European, socialized Democracy. show less

The deliberate dumbing down of america is a chronological history of the past 100+ years of education reform. Each chapter takes a period of history and recounts the significant events, including important geopolitical and societal contextual information. Citations from government plans, policy documents, and key writings by leading reformers record the rise of the modern education reform movement.

"This resister's book, or collection of research in book form, was put together primarily to satisfy my own need to see the various components which led to the dumbing down of the United States of America assembled in chronological order-in writing. Even I, who had observed these weird activities taking place at all levels of government, was show more reluctant to accept a malicious intent behind each individual, chronological activity or innovation, unless I could connect it with other, similar activities taking place at other times. This book, which makes such connections, has provided for me a much-needed sense of closure". show less