Berliner and Biddle also discuss how the press manages to misinterpret or ignore most comparative studies in which the U.S. has done well. Throughout the book, the authors stress that America will pay a steep price if it institutes a host of educational reforms, programs and curricula that are based on misinterpretations of the evidence. Another sacred cow that Biddle and Berliner tackle are the myths about spending and public education. In chapter 5 the authors examine the polemical area of educational reform. The authors stress that many of our educational reforms are based on prejudices, misinterpretations and political agendas.
Educational reforms are often the least controversial way of planning social improvement.
School changes are less threatening than direct structural changes because this would involve confronting the whole organization of industry and government. In chapters 6 and 7, the authors examine societal problems that affect our schools directly, such as a slackening economy, wealth and income inequality, the aging of the population, violence and drugs, and the restructuring of work. Chapter 7 illustrates the authors' views by arguing for equalization of school funding, collaborative learning and the abandonment of tracking and age-graded classrooms. The authors emphasize the fact that they do not base their arguments on single studies or obscure and technical points, and that it is very difficult to find evidence that is unequivocal and convincing. The last chapter focuses on the need for more funding for educational research.