Shame of the Nation Cover

          This cover illustrates an African-American boy who is receiving his paper back from a disappointed teacher. Just like any other kid he has big dreams; dreams to become a doctor, lawyer or even a businessman. However, he doubts any of these goals are achievable, since his school lacks the resources to offer a real education. Just by the gesture of his arms over his head, is a clear indication of the frustration he is feeling. He feels that there is no hope and that he doesn’t have the capability of learning. He feels helpless and weak because no matter how hard he tries, he just doesn’t get it.  He figures there is no point in pursuing a further education because he doesn’t believe he is smart enough. He sees the unequal gap between his school and that of one in an affluent community. Yet he doesn’t see the false promises told by government officials that he won’t be “left behind” (No Child Left Behind Act). He also doesn’t see that he is one of many minority children that are locked in a failing school. Though more importantly, he doesn’t see his own ability to learn.

          In this book, Jonathan Kozol describes the harsh reality of our nation’s education system and how these poor, innocent children are being sabotaged, isolated and deprived by an unethical education system. He iterates if we as citizens were to join in and fight, we could make children like this boy feel like they have the ability to obtain a good education and see their dreams turn into reality. This boy is a representation of one in many minority children that are locked in these failing schools and unable to break free.  

Blurb

Jonathan Kozol, a renowned educator, author, and activist who began his teaching career in 1964, will open your eyes to the realities of an education crisis that few people know about and even fewer like to acknowledge. Kozol invites his readers into the segregated classrooms, testing focused curriculums, and “morbid looking buildings” of today’s Apartheid schools. Through his meticulous incorporation of research and personal experience in working with students and faculty from approximately 60 schools in 30 different districts, Kozol is able to shed light on the dark secrets and disturbing truths of our nation's inner city schools that the government and school officials do not want us to know. The Shame of the Nation raises a question that most shudder at the thought of: is another civil right's movement necessary to, once again, desegregate United States schools?

Vocabulary Builder- The book as a whole

Since we've already gone over the chapters in search of vocab words, I decided to use an article instead. The article I found is titled "School Desegregation Battle: A Thing of the Past . . . and the Present." Click here to read it.

Curtis, Mary C. “School Desegregation Battle: A Thing of the Past . . . and the Present.” AOL.com: Politics Daily Feb. 2011. Web. 15 May 2011.

I really like how this article discusses the Brown v. Board of Education decision and links it to American school systems today. Curtis writes that segregation in today's inner city schools has as much to do with economics as it does with race and that conflicts of segregation that existed over fifty years ago can still be witnessed today.

Article: “Diversity, integration, segregation in Minneapolis Public Schools

This article discusses measures that are being taken in order to desegregate public schools in Minneapolis. Click here to see it.

Peterson-de la Cueva, Lisa. “Diversity, integration, segregation in Minneapolis Public Schools.” TC Daily Planet 29 May 2009. Web. 15 May 2011.

Article: “Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge”

This article discusses the negative consequences of segregation in today's public school systems. Click here to view it.

Orfield, Gary. “Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge.” The Civil Rights Project. January 2009. Web. 15 May 2011.

Journal # 4

Although I (Amanda Houle) thought this book became somewhat redundant by the end, I really enjoyed reading it. I thought he did a really good job of combining facts and statistics with real life situations and people that he has encountered. It was nice when he said names (such as Pineapple) and I was able to recognize the character from previous chapters. Though I knew what to expect coming into the book because I have read Kozol before, I still found myself shocked at almost every turn of the page. He moved from one topic to another at a steady pace, which was nice. I don’t think he spent too much time discussing one specific issue, and he thoroughly touched on all of the points that he brought up. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about going into a field with anything to do with education.

             While reading this book, I (Brittany Greenawald) felt like I needed to do many things. I felt Kozol was calling on his audience to take action, and help the children to gain equal education. One thing that I feel all individuals who read this book are capable of is to write letters to government officials. Within the letters to the government officials (like senators, congressmen and governors) there should be specific statistics and horrible conditions cited directly out of the book. This way the government will know that the secret is getting out, and they will feel pressured to fix the broken system. I also think that Kozol wants all of the readers to talk about the book to their friends and family, so they as well will uncover the major dilemmas. Finally as a future teacher, I (Brittany) feel outraged by all that is happening in the schools. I feel as if my eyes have been opened wide and I have been informed about what to expect in the coming years. In some way this book has made me want to teach at a lower income school. I want to help these children, and be someone who assures the students that they are more than their test scores and that I believe in them. I feel that everyone that is a teacher and that will be a future teacher needs to read this book!

          I (Caitlin Hennes) really enjoyed the book; it was an eye-opener for me. I knew that inner-city schools needed help, but I did not know that the schools were this bad. I found it shocking and a little ironic that most of the schools named after Martin Luther King Jr. are the most segregated schools with almost 99 percent African-American and Hispanic students. After reading the book it makes me want to do something to help these children. I think Kozol wrote The Shame of the Nation to make people see the reality that so many of us try to push under the rug and pretend that it is not there. Something that I feel I can do, that is very simple, is spread the word. Let other people know what is going on in inner-city schools and hopefully they will want to jump in and help. My hopes is that soon there will be enough people who are aware of what is going on in these schools, that the government will have to do something to fix it. If we do not fix the education gap between inner-city schools and the middle class and upper class white schools we will no longer be able to mend the gap since it will be too far apart.

           I (Matt Braun) thought this book was a huge eye-opener and helped me to see what a segregated school is like from a teacher’s (Jonathon Kozol’s) perspective. In The Shame of the Nation, Kozol is angry about these educational inequalities and encourages us as a society to overcome these barriers. As I was reading the book I felt like he was trying to call his audience to take action, and help these poor children. I personally believe what is needed, are leaders who recognize that we have a common goal in an America: to provide educational tools that prepares our children for a successful future. Every child deserves the right to a good education and as of right now the quality of an education an individual receives is based on: what the color of your skin is, where you live, and how much money you have. As a society it is our responsibility to break down these walls and strive to make our world a better place. In order to achieve this we need to set high standards and establish measurable goals that will improve individual outcomes in education.

Discussion leader for the book in review

1. On Pages 155-156 Kozol talked about visiting a school and how he saw the students making pillows. How do you think the schools could get around this rule or incorporate other educational values while the students are making their pillows?

I think that the schools need to rewrite their curriculum, if the majority of their children are struggling in school. They can leave the sewing and wood working classes as optional for the students to take if they wish, but not make it mandatory. If the classes continue to be mandatory the teacher could incorporate math into the pillow making. For instance she could make story like math problems that the students need to solve in order to figure out how much fabric or thread they need to make their pillows. If the school district incorporatates reading and math into these classes, the students will still be receiving instructional time in another class.

2. On pages 90-92 Kozol mentions how a school viewed their students as employees and their school as a business. What are the benefits and disadvantages of doing this?

One advantage that I think the students got out of this was learning how to fill out an application and go through an interview process. Some of these students because of their lower income level might not have adults at home that can teach the children about how to do this. In the school children can learn in a non-high stakes environment and be better prepared for the future. However, there are many disadvantages I see with this process. Students are not at school to be seen as machines or business people. They are students! Children need to feel that they can be valued for who they are, and with the business process they are being formed into one size fits all. Finally students need to be creative and this process is taking away their creativity.

3. On page 172 Kozol mentions the dangerous conditions many students are exposed to in low income situations. There is a mention of rates and asbestos and lead paint. How do you think this can be changed?

I think that first of all this situation needs to be broadly publicized on national news. All of the lower income schools that suffer these conditions should be listed when the report is done. The news crew should interview clips of students and clips of the unsafe environment inside the schools. Next, people should write to their government officials and the white house representative for education. By gaining publicity and writing to officials, hopefully the government would feel pressure to fix these dangerous situations.

4. On pages 202-203 Kozol mentions the many different education goals that Presidents have proposed. Why do you think none of them have been successful?

I think that none of these proposals have been successful because the Presidents are not well informed on everything that is occurring in the schools. Second of all, the Presidents goals are too high and often take away from schools if goals are not met. Schools that have a lower income level cannot afford to lose more money from the government. I think the best way for a President to be able to set accurate goals is to read this book, look at reports from low income schools and visit a lot of the lower income schools. This way he is fully exposed to the situation and has a better expectation of what is good to expect.

Summarizer for the Novel as a Whole

The novel, The Shame of the Nation, by Jonathan Kozol talks about the struggles that are present in inner-city schools. Kozol first starts the novel off pretty specific by talking about how schools are still segregated today; he also mentions the conditions of the schools, standardized testing, and the government’s involvement. Then throughout each chapter Kozol goes into much more detail about each top. He points out the flaws in these areas and why they do not work. If there is something that works he will talk about it. Kozol also talks about ways that we might be able to improve the inner-city schools.

Since much of this novel is about facts, Kozol makes sure that he has statistics to back up his reasoning or hard evidence like government documents to prove what he is saying. Even before you start reading the novel, there is a short introductory about Kozol and how he became so passionate about trying to help improve inner-city schools. Kozol does not just use facts to support what he is saying; he reaches the reader on an emotional level by talking about first-hand experiences he saw when visiting many schools. He uses interviews from children who are enrolled at these schools and teachers who work at these schools so the reader is able to connect to the children and teachers.

Graphic Organizer for Novel as a Whole

This picture shows how the poor, minority children are sabotaged and isolated by an unethical educational system. These children are locked into these failing high schools, where huge percentages do not graduate and few are prepared for college. Additionally, these minority kids are faced with overcrowding, inexperienced teachers, and lack of supplies. Being exposed to such an environment, makes it much more difficult for any kid to succeed, let alone learn under these conditions. The problem is the government that won’t take the necessary action to implement an effective program and follow through with the promise of a better education these students.

Article- Race, Social Class, and Educational Reform in an Inner City School

I found an article that discusses inner city school reforms and the reasons that many of them have failed. Click here to view it.

Anyon, Jean. "Race, Social Class, and Educational."n.d. Web. 11 May 2011.

Article- Standardized Testing and Its Victims

I found this article to be extremely interesting. It discusses standardized testing in our nation's schools and how it effects the students. Click here to view it.

Kohn, Alfie. "Standardized Testing and Its Victims." Alfie Kohn Homepage. 27 Sept. 2000. Web. 11 May 2011.

Obama's No Child Left Behind revision plan

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/State_of_the_Union/obama-overhaul-no-child-left-behind/story?id=9725517&page=2
This is an article about Obama's revision plan for No Child Left Behind. This relates to our book because most of the standardized testing and receiving less money because of bad test scores is due to No Child Left Behind. This explains the ways that will benefit and still continue to hurt the schools under Obama's revisions.
Dwyer, Devin. "Obama to Overhaul 'No Child Left Behind' - ABC News." ABCNews.com: Breaking News, Politics, World News, Good Morning America, Exclusive Interviews - ABC News. ABC News, 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 May 2011. .

Chapter 12 and Epilogue Discussion Leader

1. In this chapter, Kozol discusses the importance of teachers connecting with their students. He writes, “One thing [this purely economic explanation of the motives that bring thousands of unselfish men and women into public schools each year] lacks is any recognition of the role of altruistic and protective feelings, empathetic fascination, love of children, love of learning itself, with all the mysteries and miracles and all the moments of transcendence” (296). How important do you think it is for a teacher to embody these traits?

My first grade teacher’s name was Mrs. Kuebelbeck. I can still remember the song we learned that included all 50 states in alphabetical order, and I remember when we sang it to our parents at our first grade “graduation.” I also remember crying hysterically when I had to leave the first grade; I loved Mrs. Kuebelbeck… not because she taught me how to write my letters correctly or how to do subtraction, but because I knew she loved what she did and I knew that she loved me. I had to wear curlers in my hair to school for my dance recital that year (what was my mother thinking!?). I got made fun of for it, and I might have even cried in secret (or so I thought). Mrs. K called my mom who came to my school for lunch and brought along McDonald’s, which all three of us ate together out in our school’s garden. This is a teacher that I will remember forever because of how she taught me to love learning. So to finally answer my own question, I think these traits are essential to the success of a teacher.

2. Kozol quotes Congressman John Lewis: “Now segregation seems almost to be the order of the day. We don’t have many people who believe that integration’s even possible or worth attempting anymore, not in the government at least” (311). What are your thoughts on this statement?

Although it’s sad, I agree. I think that if something could was going to be done by the government, it would have been implemented by now. As for integration being “worth attempting,” I believe that it definitely is, and that more needs to be done on the political end to change these obvious tendencies.

3. Fern Cruz, the principal of P.S. 65 stresses the importance of child’s play. She states, “If they can’t play safely in the streets in their neighborhood, I want them to have a chance to play here at their school—and play in their school playground” (306)! How important do you think it is for a child to be able to “play?”

I don’t know how I would have survived elementary school without recess. I think it is necessary for kids to have the opportunity to get rid of all the energy they build up just sitting in their desks all day. It also allows them to focus more while in the classroom. I think it should be mandatory for elementary schools to give kids at least 30 minutes every day of recess time.

4. Kozol concludes the book with this quote from Roger Wilkins: “You cannot give up. We cannot give up. As a nation, as a people, I don’t think that we have any choice but to reject this acquiescence, to reject defeat” (317). Do you think this is an effective ending to Kozol’s book?

I think the overall goal of this book is to inspire people to take action against these appalling facts and statistics and to help the children in our country receive quality and equal education. It’s telling the reader to get up and do something about what you have just read, whether that be to inform your friends about what’s actually going on or to write a letter to your state representatives. I think this ending to Kozol’s book fits perfectly.

Beyond the Blackboard

This is a trailer of the Movie Beyond the Blackboard. This movie is a hallmark movie that shares a teacher named Stacey Bess and her struggle teaching children in a school for homeless children. This relates to our story because the room does not have enough books, desks or other school supplies for all of the children. The children are also behind in their education because of the high turn over rate of teachers just like Kozol highlighted in the book.

Chapter 12 and epilogue summary

Kozol filled this last section with more of an optimist look at what the field of education should look like. Kozol talked about how teachers have the biggest impact on whether the schools are beneficial towards the children or not. Kozol hi lighted several teachers that made a huge impact on their students even if they taught in a lower income school. The tone of the piece was surprisingly optimistic and hopeful compared to the other chapters of the book. During this section the author is describes situations in much broader terms and does not get as pin point specific as he did in other sections. Kozol emphasizes that they are still many schools where students succeed in and can thrive in. Kozol points out hero teachers that put their all into their students and explains to the audience that several teachers do this behind the scenes as well. Throughout this section Kozol's mission seems to assure the public that the failing schools are not because of their children's teachers but because of the government. Finally near the end of this section through Kozol's tone and message he conveys that there is hope for our schools and the future of our children.

Widening segregation in our schools

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/2-us-schools-are-more-segregated-today-than-in-the-1950s-source/
This article talks about the widening of segregation in our nation. This article relates to the many times that Kozol brought up the deeply segregated schools he visited. A quote that sends this point across is when the article states, " Of 8.3 million rural white students, 73 percent attend schools that are 80 to 100 percent white."
Hawkins, Rena, Melissa Robinson, and Sangeeta Sinha. "US Schools Are More Segregated Today than in the 1950s." Project Censored. Project Censored. n.d.Web. 9 May 2011. .

Chapter 12 and Epilogue Vocab Builder

http://www.rdasia.com/teachers-bet

I figured this article was a good parallel to the last Chapter in the sense that Jonathon Kozol shows how even in the midst of doubt in some of America’s most segregated schools, he can still see excellence. He shows how teachers have a huge impact on students in various ways and essentially demonstrates that even in the worst of situations there is still hope.  Providing examples, Kozol describes dedicated teachers that commit their lives to children and persist against the odds of providing them with a good education.

In this article it describes how all teachers make a difference in the lives of children. Ella Avery is a direct representation of a girl who has gone through many hardships and struggles through life and it wasn’t until a teacher named Mr. Miller came along and changed everything. This article is an excellent illustration of how teachers have a huge impact on students and their futures. As a matter of fact Ella turns out to be one! It truly is an inspirational article and makes you realize teachers really don’t get the recognition that they deserve.

Chapter 12 and Epilogue Graphic Organizer

This illustration shows characteristics of a good teacher. This is significant for today's reading because Kozol, in chapter 12, talks about how some of the inner-city schools are starting to improve. One of the reasons is because there are good teachers in the classroom. The government should be seeing this and trying to make this happen in all the inner-city schools. If there are well-qualified teachers who fit these characteristics in all the inner-city classrooms the average of the children will hopefully rise.

Journal 3

While reading chapters 10 and 11 we came across a couple of passages that had a huge impact on us. One passage is on the middle of page 277. Kozol is talking about the difference between students’ accomplishments in school according to race. Kozol also brings up how students of a different race are plagued by schools with high turnover rights, which hinder the students’ potentials of learning. The passage that emphasizes this states, “The 97 percent black and Hispanic school continues to be plagued with a colossal dropout rate. Out of a freshman class of about 250 students in 1999, only 45 survived to enter twelfth grade three years later.” This passage shows the success rate for these ethnicities is becoming lower at an impressive rate. If this epidemic would be happening with students in a middle or higher class, the government, teachers and parents would be doing something to change it. The media and the public are less informed about this because of the stereotype that different ethnicities would never accomplish what they are capable of. This thought continues on page 283 where the education trust is quoted saying, “But, certainly, the widening gulf in math and reading levels between minority high school students and their white contemporaries-a devastating five-year gap between the races.” This emphasizes how minorities are falling further and further behind the average for white students that are at their grade level. Once again, this is not widely known to the public due to the low standards given to students of other ethnicities. We were shocked by these statistics because the government does know about these issues but does nothing to better the students’ education. The government sends off a vibe that states they could care less about the problems that are occurring in education that contribute to racism and helps the stereotypes continue.

Another passage that we thought was significant appears on page 124 where Kozol writes, “Numbers become everything. Live by the rubrics; die by any accidental dip in yearly scores. And to the winners go the extra $15,000.” Kozol is presenting several disturbing realities and is doing so effectively through the use of his specific language. These occurrences clearly upset this author; this can be easily recognized by Kozol’s short and choppy sentences and also his use of satire. He’s making the education seem like a game to be played by school officials and politicians, rather than something that is highly important and valued. This passage emphasizes the importance that has been put on standardized testing scores and how they have the potential to either make or break a school. This is a major issue discussed throughout Kozol’s book and this passage illustrates the author’s apparent frustrations about such testing very well.

There are many options to improve public education and provide America’s teachers and students with the help they need; we as a nation just aren’t utilizing these resources. As a consequnce, children every day are stripped of this opportunity due to our own inability to enact change. Kozol provides a good illustration of this which is found on page 263 when describing a letter he got from a little girl saying, " 'We do not have the things you have,' the third grade child named Alliyah told me when she wrote to ask if I would come and visit at her school in the South Bronx. “Can you help us?” America owes that little girl and millions like her a more honorable answer than they have received.” If we were to take the next necessary steps to help our collapsing education system, we may be able to help out children like this little girl and give her the right to a good education. As a result this will allow them to accomplish their dreams, succeed, and prosper in the world. 

Chapter 10 and 11 Discussion Leader

My first question comes from page 239.

1. Do you agree with what Wilkins is saying when he talks about how going to a predominantly white school he learned some of the greatest lessons in his life?

I agree with Wilkins, I think it is important for school to be integrated because we can learn from other races. It may be awkward at first, but I think that is because people tend to judge someone by their looks before they even know a person. If the schools are integrated children can learn about other races from first hand experiences from the children who are of a different race. Also, the children who are not white are able to see that white people are just like other races; they should not be thought of has the better race or put up on a pedicel.

My second question comes from page 263.

2. Do you think we will have a big movement for better education and facilities for children in inner-cities like we did for Civil Rights?

I think that if nothing in the near future is done to help these children and if more and more people are aware of what is going on that there may be a big movement. Today some congress men and women are trying to have bills passed to help these children; but I think more people need to know about the issue. Before reading this book I knew that inner-city schools were not the best; however, I had no idea they were this bad! I think what people need to do now is inform other people who are unaware of these circumstances and hopefully we can all take a stand to this unequal educating that is going on.

My third question comes from page 267.

3. Do you agree with this quote, “School segregation exists, but it does not determine whether students receive greater opportunity than others.”

I do not agree with this quote. Almost everything that we have read in this book seems to contradict this quote. I am sure that segregation is not the only reason why some students receive better opportunities than other, but I believe that it is one of the reasons. When you look at the schools where the majority of students do not pass the standardized tests it is usually in the inner-city schools where most of the school are somewhere between 90 and 99 percent African-American and Hispanic. If we were to integrate the schools, then money would be divided up more equally, class sizes would hopefully be smaller, and there would be more experienced teachers to help the children; especially the ones who are struggling. If these things were to happen then I believe that students would have more equal opportunities.

My fourth question comes from page 281.

4. I want to know what you guys think about how “the math and reading skills of black and Hispanic twelfth grade students, as measured by state examinations, are below the level or proficiency achieved, on average, by white children who are in the seventh grade,” and why do you think the government keeps letting this gap become larger and larger?

I think this is shocking that black and Hispanic twelfth graders are below with seventh graders when it comes to math and reading. It really bothers me that the government seems to not try and fix this problem. I know that in the past the government has passed bills to try and fix this problem, but they always seem to fail. Whenever there are budget cuts I feel like the government cuts money from the education system right away. Something needs to change quickly because if it does not change pretty soon the gap is going to be too large to fix. I think the government tries to fix the gap, but they do not know which way is the best and with the economic crisis we are in; money is in short supply.

The newest kind of segregation: affluent only and poor only

This is commenting on how there may no longer be signs at bubblers for "whites" and "colored but there are invisible signs. These invisible signs that exist are shown through newly updated technology for the affluent and run down barely functioning equipment for the poor.

Chapter 10 & 11 Vocabulary

1. Triumphalism (238) - triumphant spirit or character

2. Ganglia (240) - a center of intellectual or industrial force, activity, etc.

3. Recapitulate (241) – to summarize

4. Perennial (252) - lasting for an indefinitely long time

5. Vindication (256)- defense; excuse; justification

6. Litigation (257)- the act or process of bringing about or contesting a lawsuit

7. Indignation (258)- anger because something seems unfair or unreasonable

8. Apotheosis (271)- the highest point of glory, power, or importance

9. Exhortation (273)- something said or written in order to urge somebody strongly to do something

10. Pedagogic (274)- the science or profession of teaching

If segregation happens today it impacts

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2006/summer/features/resegregation.html

This article echos what Kozol states in his book. Segregation of children has an impact that goes farther than the individuals childhoods. This segregation leads to unequal schools which lead to lower opportunities and test scores for minorities. This article relates directly to chapter 10 and 11.

Bordas, Hanna. "Desegregation Now: Segregation Tomorrow?" Harvard Graduate School of Education. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 19 May 2010. Web. 5 May 2011.

Article about the increasing segregation of schools

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/01/14/us-usa-segregation-idUSTRE50D7CY20090114
This article talks about the rising rates of segregation in public schools. This relates directly to the statistics that are given to us by Jonathan Kozol.
Bigg, Matthew. "U.S. School Segregation on the Rise: Report | Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. Reuters, 14 Jan. 2009. Web. 5 May 2011. .

Chapter 10 and 11 graphic organizer

This cycle describes chapter 10. I picked specific quotes and statistics that the book listed that showed the drastic monetary difference between races and poverty and the middle to upper class whites students. I put these in a cycle because nothing seems to help the students and hinders them of breaking free from this corrupted system. Essentially these students are locked into these failing high schools and sets them up for dropping out. 
This cycle also represents quotes and statistics that were stated in chapter 11. Again I picked the stats and quotes that were the main points. I chose a cycle once again because all of these points affect each other and the beginning never changes even after seeing the end result. Chapter 11 was about educational inequalities and how there are distinct differences between schools mainly because of poverty and racial segregation.

Chapter 10 and 11 Summary

In these Chapters Jonathon Kozol describes the effort of some federal court cases attempting to bring desegregation and equality to public schools. He provides examples of several key cases (one including: San Antonio Independent School District vs. Rodriguez) that have been unable to correct the issue. Essentially no matter the efforts to fix the problem, it’s inevitable that the result will be the same. The basic argument presented is that no matter how hard teachers work and students try to learn; schools that don’t have adequate funding can’t provide an adequate education for their students to succeed.


Kozol provides statistics showing the drastic monetary difference between races and poverty from that of a failing school and of a flourishing one. The information presented shows the educational inequalities and why dropouts usually occur in minority schools rather than of a school with white students. He does an excellent job of clearly illustrating the differences of education depending on the social class a student falls under and how the amount of funding affects the overall success of a school. 

How 12th graders do according to their income

This chart is comparing the amount of students that graduated and are attending college to the percentage of the students that needed free or reduced lunch. This chart makes is obvious to see that the higher the percentage the students had of needing free or reduced lunch the lower graduation rate and college rate became.

Chapter 8 and 9 Graphic Organizer

This is a representation of an endless circle/cycle to why a failing school continues to stay in the state that it’s in. Chapter 8 describes the Higher Horizons program and how it was designed in a segregated school. The intention was to increase teacher’s expectations as well as the spending per child. As a result, children’s reading and math skills improved as well as attendance. Though just as it began to work, money was reduced and eventually caused the program to diminish. Now we’re back to where we started, square one.

Equal and actual distribution of African American and Latino students in schools

This chart shows the distribution of African American and Latino students in the school . THe blue area represents what equal distribution of the minority students would look like. The red area, unfortunatly shows what the actual distribution is. This directly relates to the many times Kozol brought up the segregated schools he witnessed and researched.

Chapter 8 and 9 Discussion Questions

1. Do you think No Child Left Behind has helped or hurt our country’s children? (page 202 in my book)
No Child Left Behind does nothing to help education. The premise that teachers and students should be rewarded on the basis of lone and solitary test scores is absurd. Why take away money from the schools and those who clearly need it the most? It has only hindered the progress and purpose of education.
2. Kozol writes, “Playing games of musical chairs with children’s lives, when half of the chairs are broken and the best chairs are reserved primarily for people of his class and race, is cynical behavior in a president” (204). How does this quote affect the reader?
I found this quote to be highly effective in its attempts to show the president’s carelessness and recklessness when it comes to the lives of our country’s children. “Playing games” makes it seem as if the president isn’t taking the education of these kids seriously. I really like the metaphor Kozol uses with the chairs; it gives the reader a good visual picture and takes the complicated lives of these children and presents them in a straightforward way. Kozol is also making the president out to be a contributor to hegemonic whiteness by bringing up the issue of race, which is a prominent topic throughout the book.
3. Columnist Jack White published an article in in Time Magazine titled “Why We Need to Raise Hell.” In it, he writes that our country needs to “revive the civil rights movement…and if it takes a new round of sit-ins to put the issue back on the national agenda, so be it” (216). Do you agree with White’s statements?
It’s difficult to picture sit-ins occurring in our country today, and it’s actually particularly disturbing to think that they may once again be necessary. I think White has a great argument going; the facts are there, plain as day. Segregation, beliefs in our schools, contrary to what most Americans believe, did not disappear with the decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1953. Though I agree with White’s motive, I don’t think this movement would be effective in the form of “sit-ins” or even have to come to that. I definitely think that more people need to be educated about the truth behind segregation in these inner-city schools. The sad fact of the matter is that not everyone is aware or particularly concerned about these statistics, which is the first thing that needs to change before our country can go any further in, once again, desegregating our children’s schools.
4. Do you think Milwaukee’s money would be better spent on upgrading the schools, or should integrated education still be a high focus? (page 231)
I think it’s sad that it comes down to an either-or situation. I know this isn’t really answering my question, but I would say that—in a perfect world—using half of this money for each cause would be the most effective option and reap the most benefits for these children. I find it extremely disheartening that it is in fact necessary to invest so much money in these programs to ensure that our schools do not become segregated or that they become desegregated. I think that for the time being, money should continue to go towards such transfer programs to ensure that every child has a chance at a quality education.

Journal #2

Kozol has raised several points that have surprised us. One thing that surprised us as we were reading this book is when Kozol talks about the health hazards in the schools. All of these health hazards have been reported yet nothing is being done to fix them. It was almost horrifying to hear that in some schools there are rats and rat droppings in the class room. Since many of the building are old there is lead-based paint in the schools that is chipping off. Almost all of the schools are run down with holes in the ceiling or walls, windows are boarded up because otherwise the class would fall out and many of the bathrooms are unsanitary and do not have enough supplies like toilet paper. We were talking about the health hazards in one of our group discussions and we all came to the realization that if these types of conditions were happening in a middle class or upper class schools the parents would be throwing a fit until something is done. We do not think that it is fair or right that the inner-city child have to suffer in these conditions just because they do not come from financially stable homes. They have a right just like any other child to be able to go to school and not be in danger because the building is falling apart.
Another aspect of Kozol’s book that has surprised us so far is prevalence of segregation within schools named after historically renowned activist such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Despite everything these people stood for and what most of them died for, the schools that bare their names are “often tense, disorderly, and socially unhappy places” (26). Kozol notes that black children make up 99% of the population in a school in Milwaukee that is named after Dr. King and another named after Rosa Parks that is located in San Diego and is comprised of 86% black and Hispanic students and only 2% white students. Kozol makes a powerful statement in regards to these tendencies, which “[stand] today as one of the most visible and problematic symbols in the nation of an expectation rapidly receding and a legacy substantially betrayed” (25). So many people gave their entire lives to ending segregation in this country, and although most would argue that racism in our country has declined immensely since the days of MLK, segregation seems to be just as prevalent as it was fifty years ago.
The final thing that surprised us in this section is how much pressure was put on the kids to do well on standardized testing. The students and teacher felt a lot of pressure to have good testing scores from the government and the school district. The big push for good standardized scores comes from President Bush’s No Child Left Behind act. Under this act if schools do not perform well on the test for several years they lose funding and eventually lose their school. In this section several first hand examples were given on how schools attempted to solve this dilemma. Chicago mandated students who failed a standardized test had to return to school in the summer for extra preparation. The summer preparation for the “retest” in the fall came with a brutal daily schedule that was outlined for every teacher and the teachers were punished for deviating from the schedule. In this section, Kozol brought up many educational opportunities and privileges that were cut due to test preparation. Kozol stated many schools different strategies in getting the test preparation in during the school day. Often times the test preparation ended up taking away anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours a day from other instructional time. Students also lost their music and art programs because those subjects would not be on the test. Finally many students lost their recesses which allows for kids to run off their extra energy and help them to concentrate inside the classroom.

Vocabulary Chapters 8 and 9

I had a hard time finding ten vocabulary words, so instead I found an article, you can click here to read the article.
In chapter 8 Kozol talked about the education bills in the past that have failed to help improve the education system. This got me thinking about what Obama has done to try and fix the education system. This article talks about what Obama thinks needs to be done. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out with the economic crisis we are in. I think it is important to look at this because it affects us today since we are in school and many of us have to pay for college. Also in the next ten years or so our children will be starting school and don't we want the best education possible for them?

Results of No child left behind

Chapter 8 and 9 summary

These two chapters were about how students scores improved and the students achieved more when more money was spent on the schools. The chapters also talked about No Child Left Behind and the ways that the law hurts instead of helps students. Chapter nine writes that people need to stand up for desegregated schools and publicize their beliefs about it. A study showed that many families supported racially diverse schools but did not receive that for their children because they did not let the government know. According to No child left behind children should be able to transfer from a school that is deemed as failing to a school that is successful. In the book a statistic shows that " Nationwide only one percent of eligible children transferred from a failing school to a higher preforming school under the provisions of the federal law." The tone of the author when speaking about No child left behind is very condemning and non supportive. The author uses many statistics and quotes that show how No child left behind is a goal that is impossible to meet. In chapter nine the author talked about how families were supportive of desegregating schools. The author compelled its readers to stand up for what they believed was right. There were two statistics given that really helped get the author's message across. One was that "less than two percent ( of adults) believed that education for their children would be better in re segregated schools." The other statistic is that " 60 percent of Caucasian young adults believe that the government ought to make SURE that public schools are integrated, while the same percentage of black respondents do not merely favor integrated education but believe that it is an "absolute essential." The author's tone in chapter nine is trying to seek justice and disgusted by the injustice of the school system.

Segregation hitting home in Wisconsin

Click here to read an article that provides a nice contrast between “inner-city” to “suburban” schools and how there is that huge education gap. Also considering it is a Milwaukee Newspaper, the article provides good insight and statistics in how the city is one of the most segregated the nation!

Borsuk, Alan. "Segregation in U.S. Schools Rising."Journal Sentinel. September 2007. Web. 1 May 2011.