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Synopsis
What is happening to our schools and our kids? In this expose on public education, Jonathan Kozol, with equal parts outrage and humanism, writes that in America, there are two systems of education that are separate and unequal. His choice of the word "apartheid" in his subtitle is not merely rhetorical; students in many schools may never encounter students from other backgrounds, as segregation seems to have retaken hold. He also notes that students in inner-city schools are being shortchanged, and are suffering under a coercive culture of fear and control that can be likened to the prison system. In Kozol's view, the rhetoric of reform and improvement is a false Washingtonian drumbeat that takes advantage of well-meaning parents and communities. Students may even be worse off today than they were a decade ago. Furthermore, instruction and education have been replaced by testing. While privileged communities have curriculums of enrichment, inner-city kids have an endless diet of test prep. Dewey is out, especially for inner-city kids. This state of affair exists, is intended, and is accepted.
Kozol's book is based on his widespread touring of schools, his meetings with educators, and his talks with students and their families. It is informed by his long experience and his trained eye. His is a respected, trusted voice, the author of classics in the field that include DEATH AT AN EARLY AGE and SAVAGE INEQUALITIES. In THE SHAME OF THE NATION, Kozol speaks even more forcefully.
| Size | | Length: | 404 pages | | Height: | 10.0 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 1.5 in | | Weight: | 27.2 oz |
Industry Reviews
'[A] powerful, morally enraged polemic....[Kozol's] book will make you fighting mad, and it should."
Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) - Liza Featherstone (10/09/2005)
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