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A review by engpunk77
Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools by Jonathan Kozol
4.0
Although very well written, I had a hard time getting through this book in the beginning because a narrative of the author seemed so contrived and fake that I didn't have any faith in the author's credibility. He begins by recounting a time when he read poems by Robert Frost and Langston Hughes to 4th graders who read at a second grade level. My first reaction was incredulity, as this seemed like the least likely way to get kids interested in poetry (his initial intent). Shel Silverstein and his hilarious poems about boogers is more in their range of interests. He seems to get carried away when painting a picture of his deep impact on the children he encounters when he writes that one of these students cried when he read "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like [b:a raisin in the sun|5517|A Raisin in the Sun|Lorraine Hansberry|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165522672s/5517.jpg|3154525]?" I am not gullible enough to believe that a barely literate 4th-grader could comprehend the word "deferred," as a major cause of reading comprehension problems is a limited vocabulary. Furthermore, the idea of such a student applying this line of poetry to her own situation is even less likely. This seemed to me an obvious attempt at rewriting the past to fluff his own feathers. Needless to say, as Kozol passionately and indignantly describes the horrors of the inner-city schools he observed, I had a hard time actually believing him, as I had already detected his tendency towards hyperbole.
As I continued the journey, enjoying all the while Kozol's word artistry and trying to believe (and not to believe) what he was saying, I began to believe what seems to be an impossible truth about America. Thank goodness he quoted so many other people to give more credibility to his reporting and commentary. I'm horrified and appalled, naturally, but more importantly, I explored my own prejudices toward the victims of his story. He bitterly points out that Americans feel that children in poverty have less value---do I feel that way? Of course not. Well......it all started to sink in. It's true that I have my own child in private school and that I haven't advocated for or even been aware of the problem concerning the education of children in poverty. How can this be such a dirty little secret? We just celebrated this big anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education---how is it that people don't realize the truth behind segregation? The facts are public, it's all out in the open, and Kozol poses an apt question when he wonders why there is this lack of interest (at least),moral outrage, and action by almost all of us.
While much of the facts and supporting evidence is repetitive (it needs to be, to show that this is everywhere--a repeating pattern), the book gets even more interesting towards the end. The discourse on health care issues and how they correlate with education issues truly opens your eyes. The issue of a government choosing who lives and dies is the philosophical quandary that we toss back and forth in literary discussions of novels such as "The Giver" and "1984"--here is real life application.
This book really opened my eyes, posed real-life problems I had never considered, and gave me information I don't know what to do with. And tomorrow I go back to my teaching job--where I teach a 100% caucasion population and complain about the little things that are of no consequence in comparison to having 45 kids in a classroom with no windows. This time, I might realize what I take for granted. Maybe I'll discuss these issues with my kids, but they won't believe me. I don't know what else I'll really do with this new knowledge.
My favorite quotes from this book:
1) pg. 117 about prevention vs. remedy.
2) (About low-achieving students who disrupt the learning environment):
"Knowing one is ruined is a powerful incentive to destroy the learning opportunities for other children, and the consequence in many schools is nearly uncontrollable disruption."
My question: is tracking supposed to help or hinder this problem? When mixed in with kids who are striving to succeed, don't these ones just get weeded out anyway and put in alternative ed classes where all the students spend the day making their learning environment one in which it is impossible to learn?
Julie
As I continued the journey, enjoying all the while Kozol's word artistry and trying to believe (and not to believe) what he was saying, I began to believe what seems to be an impossible truth about America. Thank goodness he quoted so many other people to give more credibility to his reporting and commentary. I'm horrified and appalled, naturally, but more importantly, I explored my own prejudices toward the victims of his story. He bitterly points out that Americans feel that children in poverty have less value---do I feel that way? Of course not. Well......it all started to sink in. It's true that I have my own child in private school and that I haven't advocated for or even been aware of the problem concerning the education of children in poverty. How can this be such a dirty little secret? We just celebrated this big anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education---how is it that people don't realize the truth behind segregation? The facts are public, it's all out in the open, and Kozol poses an apt question when he wonders why there is this lack of interest (at least),moral outrage, and action by almost all of us.
While much of the facts and supporting evidence is repetitive (it needs to be, to show that this is everywhere--a repeating pattern), the book gets even more interesting towards the end. The discourse on health care issues and how they correlate with education issues truly opens your eyes. The issue of a government choosing who lives and dies is the philosophical quandary that we toss back and forth in literary discussions of novels such as "The Giver" and "1984"--here is real life application.
This book really opened my eyes, posed real-life problems I had never considered, and gave me information I don't know what to do with. And tomorrow I go back to my teaching job--where I teach a 100% caucasion population and complain about the little things that are of no consequence in comparison to having 45 kids in a classroom with no windows. This time, I might realize what I take for granted. Maybe I'll discuss these issues with my kids, but they won't believe me. I don't know what else I'll really do with this new knowledge.
My favorite quotes from this book:
1) pg. 117 about prevention vs. remedy.
2) (About low-achieving students who disrupt the learning environment):
"Knowing one is ruined is a powerful incentive to destroy the learning opportunities for other children, and the consequence in many schools is nearly uncontrollable disruption."
My question: is tracking supposed to help or hinder this problem? When mixed in with kids who are striving to succeed, don't these ones just get weeded out anyway and put in alternative ed classes where all the students spend the day making their learning environment one in which it is impossible to learn?
Julie