School Policy in England and the USA: A Review Essay

This article presents a review on three books that have been published from positions of considerable authority on educational developments in the USA and England over the past two decades. All of the authors have considerable knowledge, not only of policy making at the top but also of the ways in which this interacts with and impacts upon practice in the schools. The political positioning of the authors varies widely: Diane Ravitch served as President Bush Senior's Assistant Secretary for Education, whereas John Bangs has just retired from many years as the senior official for educational matters of the National Union of Teachers in England and Melissa Benn sits out on the left of, though still within, the British Labour Party. Nevertheless all three, with Bangs' co-authors Macbeath and Galton, share a deep and well-informed anger at what has happened in school policy in their respective countries and a great fear for the future if this policy direction cannot be stopped. The three books provide many policy warnings for other nations.