Education Critic, Alfie Kohn, Lecture March 13

SALISBURY, MD---Alfie Kohn, the nation’s most outspoken and lively critic of educators’ fixation on test scores and grades, speaks at Salisbury State University on Tuesday, March 13, as part of its 75th Anniversary Lecture Series. 

The author of The Case Against Standardized Testing: Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools (2000) lectures at 7:30 p.m. in Holloway Hall Auditorium. A book signing and reception follows. He also lectures on Wednesday, March 14, at 9:30 a.m., in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall. The lectures are free and the public is invited. 

Kohn’s lively and provocative crusade has landed him spots on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including the Today Show and two appearances on Oprah; he also has recently been profiled in The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. 

Standardized testing  “cuts both ways. Tests damage low-income students by reducing their education to test prep and even leading these kids to consider dropping out. But the tests also destroy innovative curriculum in more affluent schools,” Kohn said. 

Kohn began his career as a freelance writer in the 1980s specializing in psychology. Soon thereafter, his writings about competition and production culminated in his first book in 1986, No Contest: The Case Against Competition. 

The controversial author encourages others to join his crusade against standardized testing. He established anti-testing organizations in 38 states and the District of Columbia. 

Kohn’s books on education include: Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes (1993) and The Schools our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and “Tougher Standards” (1999).

The lecture—-sponsored by the Riall Lecture Series and the Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies--is dedicated to the memory of SSU Education Professor Charlie Long (1980-1999). Heavily influenced by Kohn’s ideas, he conducted workshops for schools and taught college courses on classroom management. Donations will be accepted for a scholarship in his honor. 

For information visit the University's Web site at www.salisbury.edu, www.alfiekohn.org or call 410-543-6271.