"The Puzzle Palace - An Inside View of Decline in Our Schools" is a revealing look at the decline of public education in Louisiana. Student test scores have steadily declined over the years corresponding with an increasing number of high school dropouts in many areas in Louisiana. This has resulted in the closing of public schools that have not met established academic standards. There has been a corresponding increase in home schooling along with an increase in attendance at private schools, private Christian schools, and Charter schools. The responsibility for this trend has been targeted at the local schools and more specifically, the classroom teacher. This book shows that the factors contributing to the above trends are much more complex than previously thought and have progressed over a period of time. It also shows that policy makers and/or lawmakers make educationally unsound decisions and then require the local schools to implement them; hence "The Puzzle Palace," There is an underlying negative spiritual element that cannot be denied that is also part of the overall problem picture. The stories in this book have been based on actual events but job descriptions and most details have been changed. The opinions expressed are the author's and are based on thirty one years of experience in the school system. In the end, Burnham places the ultimate blame not completely upon 'The Puzzle Palace' itself, but upon mankind's eternal enemy who has absolute disregard for the sacred creation of man, himself. For Burnham, if those who have been granted ultimate responsibility for the education system would understand one of his modes of operation, "to destroy a people or a nation" by way of, "the parallel decline of the schools," perhaps 'The Puzzle Palace' would find more appropriate ways of policy implementation thus reversing educational decline rather than promoting its proliferation. Hope exists, if the Palace would listen to the masses.
About the Author: James D. Burnham received his B.S. in 1967, a Master of Education in 1973, and an M+30 in 1984. He began his career as a secondary high school teacher in 1966-67 by teaching American History, World History, Civics, Junior High Physical Education and was assistant football coach. Beginning in 1967-75 he taught General Business, American History, Civics, World Geography, World History, General Math, and English I. In 1975 he became the first full-time high school assistant principal during the tumultuous years of court-mandated school integration. In 1980 he was promoted to principal of the local middle school where he served until 1997. In 1989 he was honored as middle school principal of the year. Active in various organizations, he was a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Louisiana Association of School Executives, Louisiana Association of Principals, National Middle School Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Parish Principals Association, Phi Delta Kappa and Louisiana Association of Computer Users in Education. He has served on the parish textbook adoption committee for Social Studies, the parish committee to write curriculum for computer studies in Middle Schools, and chairman of the local planning committee to construct a new Middle School complex. In the two small communities where he has resided, he has served as Chairman of Deacons, Training Union Director, and Adult III Sunday School Teacher of his church. He prepares and records Sunday school lessons on tape for shut-ins at his church. He was the founder and former President of a local Jaycee chapter, and was a charter member of a community volunteer Fire Department. James and his wife, Linda, enjoy living in a small town where "everybody knows everybody." He enjoys retirement and spends as much time as he can afford hunting, fishing, and camping.