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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cheri Pierson Yecke was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii (1975), a Masters of Science in Teaching from the University of Wisconsin (1984), and a Ph.D. in Gifted Education from the University of Virginia (2001).
Dr. Yecke is a noted researcher, policy analyst, lecturer, and writer. Over the past decade, she has addressed both state and national audiences on issues of education reform. Her work has been published in newspapers around the country, as well as in magazines and journals including Gifted Child Quarterly, Parenting for High Potential, The American Enterprise, and Intellectual Ammunition. She is also the author of a comprehensive analysis of successful instructional practices in the Commonwealth of Virginia, titled The Virginia Education Report Card: A Report on the Status of Public Education in Virginia and What Works.
Dr. Yecke is currently the Distinguished Senior Fellow for Education and Social Policy at the Center of the American Experiment. Previous to accepting this position, she served as the Commissioner of Education for the State of Minnesota. She was an award-winning public middle school and high school teacher before becoming a member of the Virginia State Board of Education, Deputy Secretary of Education, and Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She also served as the Director of Teacher Quality and Public School Choice at the U.S. Department of Education, as well the Senior Advisor to the White House for USA Freedom Corps.
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
Cheri Pierson Yecke spent seven years researching and writing The War Against Excellence. She wrote the book to explore challenges she experienced as a teacher trying to meet the needs of academically gifted students in a middle school classroom.
“As the mother and a middle school teacher,” Yecke said, “I had experienced firsthand the frustrations of trying to meet the intellectual needs of all children, especially those of high ability and strong motivation at the middle school level. This book examines the impact of policies such as reducing of academic expectations and the widespread elimination of ability grouping are having on these students.”
Yecke said she wants the book to help advocate for all children who have been impacted by educational policies that support low expectations and to help parents who need support in their efforts to improve public education. She said she also wanted to provide additional support for the many dedicated educators who intuitively question some of the polices they have been asked to implement.
“Most importantly, this book is written to preserve the core mission of public education - that is, to provide all children with a solid academic foundation. In the words of one endorsement, this book ‘shows what parents and policymakers can do to protect the integrity of this nation’s public education.’”
Events
Book Signing
Presentations
COMMENTS
There are many teachers fighting for better performance at the Middle and High School levels and your book has helped move us away from the "heretic" and "dissenter" labels. It's so nice when we can refer to people like you when we try to force school administrators to face common sense.
I just thought you'd like to know that your book has helped us feel that we aren't the only "crazy" people out there demanding proof before instituting educational "reform."
Andy Moore
English Teacher
Salem High School
Salem, MA 01970 ...More
