Myths arent lies. They are beliefs that people adopt because
they have an air of plausibility. But myths arent true, and they
often get in the way during serious problem-solving. This essay
identifies seven common myths that dominate established views of
education these days. Dispelling these misconceptions could open
the door to long-awaited improvement in our nations schools. The
money myth If people know anything about public schools today,
its that they are strapped for cash. Bestselling books, popular
movies, and countless lobbying groups portray urban schools as
desperately underfunded, and editors of the New York Times write
without fear of contradiction that “providing quality education
for all Americas children will take...a great deal of money.”
Bumper stickers declare, “It will be a great day when our
schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to
hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.” No matter what aspect of
education is being debated, activists generally find the
solution in more schoo