5 Sentence Summary
Kozol starts off chapter 9 by examining the need for a broad political movement. He goes on to report on the efforts of teachers and principals to resist the strengthening of segregation in public schools and goes on to discuss several examples of successful desegregation and why they were a success. In the last chapter, Kozol devotes most of it to go through his experience and what he witnessed when he visited some of America’s most segregated schools. I think he used this chapter as a way to demonstrate hope for even the worst of situations.
4 Key Passages
“What do we need to do to alter these realities?” (pg. 215)
“Herewith…a radical proposal…Revive the civil rights movement, which went into limbo long before some of its most important goals were accomplished…” (pg.216)
“These are the schools I call ‘the treasured places.’ They remind us always of the possible” (pg. 300)
“Teachers and principals should not permit the beautiful profession they have chosen to be redefined by those who know far less than they about the hearts of children.” (pg. 299)
3 Key Terms
Integration- the bringing of people of different racial or ethnic groups into unrestricted and equal association, as in society or an organization
“Super-teachers”– subject to idolatry in movies and books from time to time; too many in the real world
Desegregation- process of ending racial segregation
2 Connections
In chapter 9, Kozol examines the need for a political movement within the school system. I couldn’t agree more. The whole aspect of segregation is so distant to me since I’ve never had to deal with it but after reading this book I am so happy that although it isn’t completely nonexistent, it’s still good to know how much we have progressed over the years. I was also proud of the efforts that teachers and principals were putting forth to stop the segregation.
I was encouraged by the last chapter of this book tremendously. It was a challenge then as well as it is now for teachers and authority figures to make the school how you want it to be. Kozol demonstrates the aspect of hope within some of the most segregated schools across America which gives me hope in my future as an educator that I too can make a difference.
1 Question
Why is it so hard for students to motivate themselves to learn and realize the importance of their education?
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This is an important question. As you may know most of us were not necessarily "self-motivated" to achieve but were provided models of achievement (perhaps our parents), incentives for achievement (at first extrinsic and then eventually intrinsic), and perhaps most important expectations of achievement (the local and larger community around us).
ReplyDeleteMany of the students who are so-called "at-risk" or "low achieving" do not have these developmentally necessary influences in their lives. Essentially, when they come to our classrooms they may not only be academically behind in their development but also socially behind in their development.
It becomes necessary for teachers to recognize the need to provide all students developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive curriculum and instruction to assist the most marginalized students in our classrooms in developing the will and skill necessary to be high achieving.