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Rethinking Schools: An Agenda for Change
Rethinking Schools includes sections on rethinking language arts and social studies curricula, testing and tracking, national education policy, antibias and multicultural education, and building school communities. These articles are practical essays by classroom teachers as well as educators such as Henry Louis Gates Jr., Bill Bigelow, Lisa D. Delpit, and Howard Zinn. Resource lists of relevant books, videos, organizations, and materials on each topic make this a powerful tool for implementing successful school reform.
- GenresEducationNonfiction
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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July 1, 2020Back in June I attended an Educational Equity Summit hosted through the University of Minnesota and one of the ketynote speakers was Pedro Noguera. I had read some of Dr. Noguera's research on closing achievement gaps for students with diverse needs in college, so it was a really bizarre and exciting moment to put the research to a face. And he was definitely the real deal. Incredibly captivating, his message was clear and distilled - education is an opportunity to alleviate poverty and expand opportunity to all youth. It was inspiring to see the bobbing heads of approval from an auditorium of educators, all connected to his voice and mission.
Throughout his speech he recommended so many good reads, but he made a point to highlight Rethinking Schools as a platform for discussing equity in schools. So much so, that I felt obligated to pick it up. And so, now that this service year is almost up I've put down the fantasy novels to cram this book review in because I really do think it's worth it.
Rethinking Schools is an anthology of educational vignettes from leaders in education. It is organized into 5 themes - Multiculturalism, Curriculum, Testing/Tracking, Policy, and Community - and seeks to show the relationship between theory and practice in the classroom. I feel pretty tentative about educational books in general because I think they tend to get too specific on one issue, too preachy. And so right off the bat I appreciated that there was not just one focus on any particular problem, but rather a focus on the relationship between the themes. That there were accounts from researchers, administrators, and policy makers, but also teachers, parents, and students. That even with distinct segments, there was an interconnectedness and holistic approach to the writing.
There is so much to praise, but one section that really stood out to me as relevant was "Coming to Terms with Violence in Our Schools" (which I did not realize until now looking back for some quotes that it was written by none other than Dr. Noguera himself...well, I guess this review is consistent if nothing else). Serving at Liberty Plaza, most of the high schoolers I work with go to Central. There has been so much trauma in the community and at that school - student death and suicide, bullying from students and teachers, assaults and inappropriate conduct of students of color particularly Somali girls, and so many other happenings this year in Saint Paul. I've had a lot of conversations with my kids and they genuinely don't feel safe, and from that fear comes a lot of understandable resentment and anger. Noguera says it so well that:
"For far too many students, going to school is a violating and demeaning experience...Feelings of hostility and resentment are exacerbated when adults arbitrarily enforce rules, forgetting that they are working with children. Moreover, some adults are just plain mean when they deal with kids, exercising their authority over children in a pernicious and vindictive manner".
That passage shook me, and I had to stop and digest it for a long time. I feel like if there is any place in the world that should be a nurturing and healing place for kids, it should be their school. And yet it's quite the opposite for kids I know. This is just one quote from one section, but I think it illustrates how entire book is filled with thought-provoking and real instances of what is going on inside schools.
And with that, I am trying to think of criticisms or reasons to bypass Rethinking Schools but I'm falling short. I do think it is a bit dated with some of the research, especially in regards to educational policy and the debate between public, private, and charter schools, but the main ideas still ring true. And just like any piece with multiple authors, some parts will be a lot more interesting depending on your personal preference. But I would really recommend Rethinking Schools to anyone wanting to be involved with social change, especially if you are interested in youth development or education.
Throughout his speech he recommended so many good reads, but he made a point to highlight Rethinking Schools as a platform for discussing equity in schools. So much so, that I felt obligated to pick it up. And so, now that this service year is almost up I've put down the fantasy novels to cram this book review in because I really do think it's worth it.
Rethinking Schools is an anthology of educational vignettes from leaders in education. It is organized into 5 themes - Multiculturalism, Curriculum, Testing/Tracking, Policy, and Community - and seeks to show the relationship between theory and practice in the classroom. I feel pretty tentative about educational books in general because I think they tend to get too specific on one issue, too preachy. And so right off the bat I appreciated that there was not just one focus on any particular problem, but rather a focus on the relationship between the themes. That there were accounts from researchers, administrators, and policy makers, but also teachers, parents, and students. That even with distinct segments, there was an interconnectedness and holistic approach to the writing.
There is so much to praise, but one section that really stood out to me as relevant was "Coming to Terms with Violence in Our Schools" (which I did not realize until now looking back for some quotes that it was written by none other than Dr. Noguera himself...well, I guess this review is consistent if nothing else). Serving at Liberty Plaza, most of the high schoolers I work with go to Central. There has been so much trauma in the community and at that school - student death and suicide, bullying from students and teachers, assaults and inappropriate conduct of students of color particularly Somali girls, and so many other happenings this year in Saint Paul. I've had a lot of conversations with my kids and they genuinely don't feel safe, and from that fear comes a lot of understandable resentment and anger. Noguera says it so well that:
"For far too many students, going to school is a violating and demeaning experience...Feelings of hostility and resentment are exacerbated when adults arbitrarily enforce rules, forgetting that they are working with children. Moreover, some adults are just plain mean when they deal with kids, exercising their authority over children in a pernicious and vindictive manner".
That passage shook me, and I had to stop and digest it for a long time. I feel like if there is any place in the world that should be a nurturing and healing place for kids, it should be their school. And yet it's quite the opposite for kids I know. This is just one quote from one section, but I think it illustrates how entire book is filled with thought-provoking and real instances of what is going on inside schools.
And with that, I am trying to think of criticisms or reasons to bypass Rethinking Schools but I'm falling short. I do think it is a bit dated with some of the research, especially in regards to educational policy and the debate between public, private, and charter schools, but the main ideas still ring true. And just like any piece with multiple authors, some parts will be a lot more interesting depending on your personal preference. But I would really recommend Rethinking Schools to anyone wanting to be involved with social change, especially if you are interested in youth development or education.
September 11, 2018
“Homophobic name-calling is pervasive.
Teaching children to be critical oppression is teaching true morality, and teachers have a right, indeed the obligation, to alert their students to all forms of oppression. Educating children not to be homophonic is one way to show the difference between oppressive and non oppressive behavior” (p. 41).
Teaching children to be critical oppression is teaching true morality, and teachers have a right, indeed the obligation, to alert their students to all forms of oppression. Educating children not to be homophonic is one way to show the difference between oppressive and non oppressive behavior” (p. 41).
July 29, 2022
A must read for any stakeholders in public education
Currently reading
January 22, 2008currently reading and...while it is a little dated...I am appreciating the universal themes. A good read for anyone interested in or working in education...
Ill let you know how many "stars" when I finish it.
Ill let you know how many "stars" when I finish it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews