Invitations to Resistance- Jonathan Kozol Chapter 9

Quote 1- "Like many teachers I have met in similarly segregated schools over the past ten years, they taught apartheid's children but they had not given up their condemnation of apartheid and its consequences."(Kozol, p. 216)

I liked how Kozol used the term apartheid's children.  It made me think of how these children must've felt being in schools back in the day.  What was it like to teach these children?  How was your life like as a teacher in a segregated school?  I wish I could have an interview with one of these teachers to ask them about their experiences.  I feel by understanding these teachers and students, we can maybe better our own problems today.

Quote 2- "American has never made progress on racial issues unless there was enough agitation to force society to take action.  Honor among privileged blacks and whites alike, he said depends on rediscovering our commitment to treating all children fairly.  If it takes new turmoil to bring that about, that is a price we should be willing to pay."(Kozol, p. 216-217)

This is a quote that Kozol got from Jack White in Time magazine.  I really enjoyed this quote because I feel it is something that needs to happen in order for everyone to live as one.  In order for this to happen, we must make a commitment as a whole to end this inequality and racism.  He is right about the fact that it may take some turmoil in order for things to turn about and start on a new "foot."  I hope someday we can find a way to deal with our racial issues in society.

Quote 3- "Inspire students to take action on their own convictions and to understand the moral, political and symbolic landscape of our city."(Kozol, p. 219)

We, as teachers, need to inspire our students not only to become great learners, but to make our world a better place.  We need to teach them how they can do this especially by starting at a young age.  It is not our objective to brainwash them with our own morals and ideas, but rather help them and lead them to obtain their own.  We can teach them what is morally correct, different political issues, and how to help our surrounding community.  By inspiring our students, we can form relationships and create a positive learning environment.

Quote 4- "But if there is ever to be another major struggle in this nation to confront not only pedagogies targeted exclusively at children of apartheid, but apartheid in itself, we may hope that educators such as these will have a role in leading it."(Kozol, p. 221)

This quote most nearly means that we as teachers can be the next to change our nation and lead our country towards the right direction.  We need to be leaders not only in our own lives, but in the lives of our students.  These students need to see us as positive role models.  We need to create the future leaders of America and by being a good role model, we can hope for the inspirational students we have formed.

Quote 5- "A political movement is a necessary answer.  We cannot look to the courts to do it in the present age.  We cannot look to the two political parties, the Republicans and Democrats, to do it.  We need to reach out to a broader sector of the nation to initiate a struggle."(Kozol, p. 222)

I feel this is a great quote to get us started in the right direction.  We need a push from the "broader sector" of our nation to start us off and get us over this struggle we are going through.  Something needs to happen!  Rather than having all this talking about what can be done, some form of action needs to take place.  Why hasn't something big happened?  I understand that we cannot rely on political leaders to help us through this struggle or to jump start our nation again.  We, as a whole group of people who care, need to come together and try and figure out something to help us lead an easier and equal life.

Quote 6- "Choice, left to itself, will increase stratification.  Nothing in the way choice systems actually work favors class or racial integration."(Kozol, p. 225)

This was a quote said by Gary Orfield.  This quote made me angry because I feel that many people should have choice in whatever they do.  They should have a choice at what school to go to, what job to take, what house and neighborhood to live in.  This choice system that Orfield talks about sounds very unreal.  Is he right, do choice systems actually favor class and help with racial integration?  I would hope so, but have not seen anything come into play that would verify that these choice systems work.  I guess we must find other ways to help with our problems of class and racial integration.

The following quotes are taken from the class 13 folder on vista

Quote 1- "Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896), is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses (particularly railroads), under the doctrine of "separate but equal"."

I enjoyed reading this section on Plessy v. Ferguson.  I didn't know much about this supreme court decision, but I found it to be very important to later decisions especially brown vs. the board of education.  I can't believe the fact that they would instill these laws and fight for the segregation of private businesses.  Nowadays, people can't get enough business in their stores and need to shut down.  

Quote 2- "On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy boarded a car of the East Louisiana Railroad that was designated for use by white patrons only, as mandated by state law. Although Plessy was born a free person and was one-eighth black and seven-eighths white, under a Louisiana law enacted in 1890, he was classified as Black, and thus required to sit in the "colored" car. When, in an act of planned disobedience, Plessy refused to leave the white car and move to the colored car, he was arrested and jailed."

I found the story to be very comical although serious in a way.  How can you discriminate against a person who is one-eighth black and seven-eighths white?  This just makes me laugh because it was so wrong for people to think this way and act upon their hatred towards a certain color, especially if someone is barely a person of color.  I understand you can tell the difference in skin tone, but they shouldn't be treated that differently.  I know these cases helped vastly in the desegregation movement.

Quote 3- The named plaintiff, Oliver L. Brown, was a parent, a welder in the shops of the Santa Fe Railroad, an assistant pastor at his local church, and an African American.^[7] He was convinced to join the lawsuit by Scott, a childhood friend. Brown's daughter Linda, a third grader, had to walk six blocks to her school bus stop to ride to Monroe Elementary, her segregated black school one mile (1.6 km) away, while Sumner Elementary, a white school, was seven blocks from her house."

This quote goes along with what we have going on in schools today where students are being sent to schools that are further away from them because they can't afford to go to a school right down the street from them.  They didn't figure it out for a long time back then and we can't figure it out today.  What is it going to take to have our students no matter what race or economic status to go to the same schools and learn from one another?  How long is it going to take for people to understand that we live in a diverse world and we must accept others for who they are?

Quote 4- "Justice Felix Frankfurter demanded that the opinion in 1955's Brown v. Board of Education II order desegregation with the (somewhat contradictory) phrase of "all deliberate speed". The phrase gave the South an excuse to defy the law of the land.  For fifteen years, schools in the South remained segregated, until the Supreme Court's opinion in Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education."

I think it is crazy to see that you can go against a law because of a phrase, but I guess that is how our law system works.  People can find the smallest ways to get around a law or anything in life.  It just makes me sick that they did not have to follow the desegregation and move on and realize that change needed to happen.  What is going to happen in the future of our education?  How are we going to handle issues of diversity and racism in our school systems?

Quote 5- "Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy filed a concurrence that presented a more narrow interpretation, stating that schools may use "race conscious" means to achieve diversity in schools but that the schools at issue in this case did not use a sufficiently narrow tailoring of their plans to sustain

 their goals."

I don't understand how the schools used "race conscious" means to achieve diversity and didn't use sufficiently narrowing tailoring of their plans to sustain their goals.  This is like a two way street where the schools can do one thing and then say another.  It is a contradiction of yourself, rather than an achievement of your ultimate goal.  Once again, this goes with my whole argument of our law system and the justice the law system serves our country.  I understand times have changed and we are receiving a better justice system than the past, but how come we can't change our nation now?  Especially in the education aspect!

The following quotes are taken from the class 12 folder on blackboard

Quote 1- "The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more."(earthcharterinaction.org)
I liked this quote because it talked about our global partnership to take care of the earth and one another.  We must make sure we care for our surroundings.  I particularly liked the end of this quote where it says that "human development is primarily about being more, not having more."  I can't begin to tell you how true this statement is.  Why do we need more when we can give more, not only to our earth, but to others.  People in our world are very selfish and are so needy.  Things need to change and can be done, but it will take some giving up of things in life.


Quote 2- "b. Empower every human being with the education and resources to secure a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and safety nets for those who are unable to support themselves."(earthcharterinaction.org)
I liked how they stated the principles that are expected of our world.  This was one of my favorites because I can relate it to our class on the foundations of education.  It relates by providing equality and empowering every human being possible.  Create equality by providing resources necessary for a secure sustainable livelihood.  Help those in need and give up a portion of your livelihood to help others.  The main thing is to help those in need and create equality for all, especially in the form of a equal education.


Quote 3- "Our work as teacher is to give children a sense of place-to invite children to braid their identities together with the place where they live by calling their attention to the air, the sky, the cracks in the sidewalk where the earth busts out of its cement cage." (Pelo 2009)
I liked how Pelo talks about inviting our students to find their sense of place not only in society, but in the classroom as well.  I like how the author connects nature to how students should perceive a classroom.  Notice the little things and care for them, then you will "bust out of the cement cage" and become a high quality student.  But more importantly don't take things for granted and notice your surroundings because our surroundings shape ourselves.  They make us who we are and are what we come from.


Quote 4- "The more we know superficially, the less we penetrate, vertically.  It's all very well skimming across the surface of the ocean and saying you know all about the sea.  Underneath is everything we don't know and are afraid of knowing." (Pelo 2009)
I liked the analogy they used between knowing superficially and penetrating vertically to the sea and what lies beneath.  How are we supposed to know if we don't explore vertically?  How are we supposed to spark creativity in our students if we don't know anything about their interests.  We must know what "lies beneath" in order to bring out the best and go further in our lives.  This relates to teaching our students and knowing them and their surroundings.


Quote 5- "In our work with young children, our focus in gathering these stories is as much about the children's imaginings as it is about scientific facts.  We can invite their conjectures to complement the facts, opening the door to heartfelt connections." (Pelo 2009)
This is a great connection between children's imaginations and scientific facts.  We can support these imaginings to scientific facts.  This will allow for the backup of the thoughts and conjectures.  This creates heartfelt connections just like critical thinking and questioning on the CMTs.  By doing this, students can create their own thoughts and find out things about their thoughts and if they are true or not.  If they are false conjectures, they are still looking for these connections and applying themselves in and outside of the classroom.


Quote 6- "We're often encouraged to see the earth as landscape, which is scenery-something to look at, but not to participate in.  But when we collapse the distance between the land and ourselves and allow ourselves to become part of the story of a place, we give ourselves over to intimacy.  This can be our work with young children-weaving them into the story of the place where they live." (Pelo 2009)
This quote reminded me of painting a picture in your readers mind when reading.  But more importantly,  we must make students aware of their surroundings and setting in which they live in.  Living here in New England, we have the best of all worlds.  We get four seasons with a vast difference in weather throughout the year.  An example of making students aware of their environment is to do lessons on the seasons and show new students to the area what the seasons are all about.  Students need to know where they come from before they can go further in life!

The following quotes are taken from Kozol Ch. 8

Quote 1- "Speaking of the nicely refined torture a man can experience from having been created and defeated by the same circumstances, Baldwin wrote, the best that one can say is that they are in an impossible position and that those who are motivated by genuine concern maintain this position with heartbreaking dignity."(Kozol, p. 198)
It is sad to hear that people can be "created and defeated all by the same circumstances."  I thought this quote was very powerful.  It made me think deeper of how this torture and defeat could happen to a person of color.  It made sense when I put it into the real world.  I, not only, put it into context today, but also related this quote to the past and apartheid.  A lot is expected of black leaders whether they lived in the past or present day.  A lot is expected of them when they come; too little is accorded to them when they leave." This statement says it perfectly not only in the past, but even to those in power present day.

Quote 2- "There are hundreds of principals in our urban schools who are authentic heroes, few of whom would emulate the posturing and bluster of Joe Clark and most of whom do not receive the notice and support that they deserve.  But there is a difference between recognizing the accomplishments of able school officials and the marketing of individuals as saviors of persistently unequal systems."(Kozol, p.200)
I liked this quote because there are several hundred principals out in our urban school systems that don't receive that support and get noticed as great leaders.  Some of these principals are given close to nothing for their amazing accomplishments and may not receive any recognition.  These individuals need to be given recognition for their accomplishments.  The poor principals of rich suburban schools still get more support than those amazing heroes in urban settings, where money is a big issue.  I think these principals should switch schools for a day to see what it is like and to compare it to how they have it at their own school.  Hopefully, this will help the under-achieving principals realize how much easier they have it and will help them do a better job.

Quote 3- "Strict demands for proof of adequate yearly progress in all public schools and penalties, such as the loss of federal funds, for schools that did not meet their goals, as measured by their students' scores on standardized exams."(Kozol, p. 202-203)
Again, we see the issue of standardized testing and the funding that goes along with them.  If these schools do not meet their AYP then they can have the penalty of losing all their funding.  Without this funding schools are pretty much on their own for getting their scores up for the next time around.  Not only do they have to try and get these scores up, but they have to suffer with less money from the government.  I feel like this can make or break a school and determine the outcome of what happens in the lives of the children.  A lot lies on the shoulders of these exams and it is all how well the teachers prepare the students to ready them for these high stakes exams.

Quote 4- "If the president had used his leadership to advocate for transfers not only within school districts, but between them, the transfer option might have had real meaning and, indeed, if earnestly enforced, it might have opened up the possibilities for mightily expanded racial integration in suburban schools surrounding our core cities."(Kozol, p. 203-204)
I really thought this quote had great insight to how our presidents should have acted in the past in order to help diversify our school systems.  It could even work in todays day and age, but in order for this to happen, there needs to be a big change!  I grew up in  a suburban town, where our high school had students bused in from Hartford.  This opportunity for them to learn was much better than in their own community, but also this opportunity gave us the chance to learn from them and understand their culture. I feel like having a diverse school district is very important not only for the equality for all, but also for the opportunity for everyone to coexist and learn from one another.

Quote 5- "Playing games of musical chairs with children's lives, when half the chairs are broken and the best chairs are reserved primarily for people of his class and race, is cynical behavior in a president."(Kozol, p. 204)
I really liked this quote and the analogy of musical chairs to race and class of the president.  It was a aspiring quote and a strike to all the presidents and how they cannot find out how to create equality for all.  They have been saying they will for the longest time, but instead do what they think will make them look good.  Will the problem of inequality ever be solved?  I think there needs to be a drastic change in our world or politics to allow for equality.  I hope it will happen in my lifetime, but I don't think there is much hope for that to happen.

Quote 6- "Highly implausible test-score fluctuations in the Houston schools have awakened suspicions of cheating on the part of principals who had apparently been pressured by administrators to do anything they could to boost the scores."(Kozol, p. 206)
Ha ha.  How could this be true, cheating on the part of a principal?  This quote makes me laugh to see that someone could cheat to get his/her school to pass the standardized tests.  I understand that there is a lot of pressure on people high up to get their school to succeed the first time at these tests, but isn't cheating just setting up your students to fail in life.  By promoting cheating, students will think it is okay to do throughout their schooling career.  Cheating doesn't allow for any learning and these students are set up for failure.  If I were these principals, I would feel bad for the failure of the students I was responsible for!

The following quotes are taken from Anthology Chapters 21, 22, and 23

Quote 1- "The call for educational reform has gained the status of a recurring national event, much like the annual Boston Marathon." (Anthology, p. 197)
This doesn't surprise me because we live in an ever changing world.  We are always trying to better our world and what we can do to benefit, not only in the moment, but for our future as well.  Our country is always trying to one up other countries in the race to the top aspect, so we are always changing what we can do to benefit our education system.  I thought it was funny to compare how we are always reforming our education system, just like the Boston Marathon occurs annually.  I guess you can say that this analogy means we are reforming quote often.

Quote 2- "But unlike many past educational reform movements, the present call for educational change presents both a threat and challenge to public school teachers that appears unprecedented in our nation's history." (Anthology, p. 197)
This quote goes along with quote one in what is happening in the reforms of the present day.  We, teachers, are the most affected of the reform movements.  Teachers have to worry about various aspects of the career, such as jobs being threatened.  Also, teachers are presented with a more challenging job due to the fact that they have deal with new rules, regulations, and laws put into effect.  I don't see this career getting any easier in the near future.  This is one of the most challenging and most jobs in the world.  I didn't choose this job for the money, but rather to teach children and learn from them at the same time.  I hope that these reforms can continue, but only in a positive way, that will benefit students and teachers together.

Quote 3- "Similarly, the debate provides teachers with the opportunity to organize collectively so as to struggle to improve the conditions under which they work and to demonstrate to the public the central role that teachers must play in any viable attempt to reform the public schools." (Anthology, p. 198)
I think this is very important not only for the conditions of teachers and their unity, but also to help benefit the students and give them the best possible learning chances.  Teachers need to come together and form these groups, debates, unions, and communities to help them through the struggle of education reforms and other topics in education.  These teams allow for the collaboration of ideas in order to reflect on the position teachers are in, as well as trying to come up with solutions to benefit their careers.   I think this goes hand in hand with teacher unions and how teachers are represented in order to help them through struggles and create equal opportunities for all.

The following quotes are taken from Anthology chapters 9 and 11

Quote 1- "A careful analysis of the teacher-student relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals its fundamentally narrative character.  This relationship involves a narrating Subject (the teacher) and patient listening objects (the students)." (Anthology, p. 91)
This quote kind of made me angry that the author could compare the classroom to a narrative.  I understand the teacher is narrating to the students in the classroom, but isn't the teachers job to get the students t be narrators as well?  I feel as though you need the students to be able to feel comfortable in front of the class and voice their own opinions.  If you don't, these students will never be able to progress in the classroom environment and feel comfortable enough to speak in front of their peers.  The teacher should always be narrating positive advice to his/her students to encourage them to develop as a student and become their own narrator.

Quote 2- "Narration (with the teacher as narrator) leads the students to memorize mechanically the narrated account.  Worse yet, it turns them into containers, into receptacles to be filled by the teachers."(Anthology, p. 92)
This goes along with the first quote I chose.  It makes me angry to see that they can consider these children "containers" and "receptacles."  Students should not be mechanical learners and have to memorize the "narrator" says.  This just leads to a boring classroom where students aren't retaining any of the information being taught.  We, as teachers, need to provide an interactive classroom for our students where narration occurs among every student in the classroom.  This will allow for an engaging classroom where students are asked to participate and interact with one another.

Quote 3- "Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor.  Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiques and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat."(Anthology, p. 92)
This relates to quote number two because it deals with the whole banking concept of education, where the teacher is the  depositor of information on the students.  Instead of having the students communicate the information being taught, he/she is just depositing the information being "taught" into the students brains, where they are asked to memorize, retain, and repeat the information.  How are the students expected to remember the information later in their educational careers?  This is just setting the students up to fail because they aren't given the opportunity to use the information being taught.  These students need to do activities with the objective/information and interact with one another in order to understand it.  Without this opportunity these students are piggy banks filled with money of no worth.

Quote 4- "In problem-posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves; they come to see the world not as a static reality, but as a reality in process, in transformation." (Anthology, p. 100)
I loved this quote because it stands true to me and should to problem-posing education for others.  We should perceive problem solving as a way in which we find ourselves.  We should allow for our students to find themselves in the world they are living.  This should happen not only through the use of real world problems, but letting them see the world in various ways to allow for different opinions and viewpoints.  Teachers should be willing to allow their students to find themselves in a free and non-judgmental way.

Quote 5- "If you are planning to become a teacher, welcome, and prepare to be overwhelmed." (Anthology, p. 112)
This quote made me laugh and get scared at the same time because of all the things they said teachers were overwhelmed by later in the paragraph.  Some of these examples include: portfolios, standard-based lessons, differentiated instruction, IEPs, ESTs, continuous assessment, making sure kids pass those standardized tests, fundraisers, getting the computers to work, inclusion, trying to keep discipline in a classroom where some can't even sit still for a minute.  These are only some of the factors they listed that make me overwhelmed for when I become a teacher.  So much goes into becoming a teacher and much more goes into being a good teacher.  I look forward to the challenge and all I have to say is, bring it on!

Quote 6- "Great teachers know that to actually be successful, a student must first do something of value. Simply telling kids they are good won't wash.  Student success is fostered by the work students do, by what they produce.  This can include participating, performing, creating, practicing, designing, producing, carrying out an experiment, finishing an assignment, or any of hundreds of other activities." (Anthology, p. 116)
I loved this quote because it talked about what great teachers are asked to do and how students work can lead to success.  I loved how they gave some examples of how students success is fostered in the class.  Students should be able to produce a great deal of things if they are taught by a great teacher.  In order to be a great teacher, we must know our students and understand them in order to know what we can expect from each individual.  If we expect a lot out of our students and lead them to the ultimate goal, then we can expect great things out of our students.  If students are not given the opportunity or led in the right direction they might be set up to fail at the objective trying to be taught.

Invitations to Resistance- Jonathan Kozol Chapter 9

Quote 1- "Like many teachers I have met in similarly segregated schools over the past ten years, they taught apartheid's children but they had not given up their condemnation of apartheid and its consequences."(Kozol, p. 216)

I liked how Kozol used the term apartheid's children.  It made me think of how these children must've felt being in schools back in the day.  What was it like to teach these children?  How was your life like as a teacher in a segregated school?  I wish I could have an interview with one of these teachers to ask them about their experiences.  I feel by understanding these teachers and students, we can maybe better our own problems today.

Quote 2- "American has never made progress on racial issues unless there was enough agitation to force society to take action.  Honor among privileged blacks and whites alike, he said depends on rediscovering our commitment to treating all children fairly.  If it takes new turmoil to bring that about, that is a price we should be willing to pay."(Kozol, p. 216-217)

This is a quote that Kozol got from Jack White in Time magazine.  I really enjoyed this quote because I feel it is something that needs to happen in order for everyone to live as one.  In order for this to happen, we must make a commitment as a whole to end this inequality and racism.  He is right about the fact that it may take some turmoil in order for things to turn about and start on a new "foot."  I hope someday we can find a way to deal with our racial issues in society.

Quote 3- "Inspire students to take action on their own convictions and to understand the moral, political and symbolic landscape of our city."(Kozol, p. 219)

We, as teachers, need to inspire our students not only to become great learners, but to make our world a better place.  We need to teach them how they can do this especially by starting at a young age.  It is not our objective to brainwash them with our own morals and ideas, but rather help them and lead them to obtain their own.  We can teach them what is morally correct, different political issues, and how to help our surrounding community.  By inspiring our students, we can form relationships and create a positive learning environment.

Quote 4- "But if there is ever to be another major struggle in this nation to confront not only pedagogies targeted exclusively at children of apartheid, but apartheid in itself, we may hope that educators such as these will have a role in leading it."(Kozol, p. 221)

This quote most nearly means that we as teachers can be the next to change our nation and lead our country towards the right direction.  We need to be leaders not only in our own lives, but in the lives of our students.  These students need to see us as positive role models.  We need to create the future leaders of America and by being a good role model, we can hope for the inspirational students we have formed.

Quote 5- "A political movement is a necessary answer.  We cannot look to the courts to do it in the present age.  We cannot look to the two political parties, the Republicans and Democrats, to do it.  We need to reach out to a broader sector of the nation to initiate a struggle."(Kozol, p. 222)

I feel this is a great quote to get us started in the right direction.  We need a push from the "broader sector" of our nation to start us off and get us over this struggle we are going through.  Something needs to happen!  Rather than having all this talking about what can be done, some form of action needs to take place.  Why hasn't something big happened?  I understand that we cannot rely on political leaders to help us through this struggle or to jump start our nation again.  We, as a whole group of people who care, need to come together and try and figure out something to help us lead an easier and equal life.

Quote 6- "Choice, left to itself, will increase stratification.  Nothing in the way choice systems actually work favors class or racial integration."(Kozol, p. 225)

This was a quote said by Gary Orfield.  This quote made me angry because I feel that many people should have choice in whatever they do.  They should have a choice at what school to go to, what job to take, what house and neighborhood to live in.  This choice system that Orfield talks about sounds very unreal.  Is he right, do choice systems actually favor class and help with racial integration?  I would hope so, but have not seen anything come into play that would verify that these choice systems work.  I guess we must find other ways to help with our problems of class and racial integration.

False Promises Kozol Ch. 8

Quote 1- "Speaking of the nicely refined torture a man can experience from having been created and defeated by the same circumstances, Baldwin wrote, the best that one can say is that they are in an impossible position and that those who are motivated by genuine concern maintain this position with heartbreaking dignity."(Kozol, p. 198)
It is sad to hear that people can be "created and defeated all by the same circumstances."  I thought this quote was very powerful.  It made me think deeper of how this torture and defeat could happen to a person of color.  It made sense when I put it into the real world.  I, not only, put it into context today, but also related this quote to the past and apartheid.  A lot is expected of black leaders whether they lived in the past or present day.  A lot is expected of them when they come; too little is accorded to them when they leave." This statement says it perfectly not only in the past, but even to those in power present day.

Quote 2- "There are hundreds of principals in our urban schools who are authentic heroes, few of whom would emulate the posturing and bluster of Joe Clark and most of whom do not receive the notice and support that they deserve.  But there is a difference between recognizing the accomplishments of able school officials and the marketing of individuals as saviors of persistently unequal systems."(Kozol, p.200)
I liked this quote because there are several hundred principals out in our urban school systems that don't receive that support and get noticed as great leaders.  Some of these principals are given close to nothing for their amazing accomplishments and may not receive any recognition.  These individuals need to be given recognition for their accomplishments.  The poor principals of rich suburban schools still get more support than those amazing heroes in urban settings, where money is a big issue.  I think these principals should switch schools for a day to see what it is like and to compare it to how they have it at their own school.  Hopefully, this will help the under-achieving principals realize how much easier they have it and will help them do a better job.

Quote 3- "Strict demands for proof of adequate yearly progress in all public schools and penalties, such as the loss of federal funds, for schools that did not meet their goals, as measured by their students' scores on standardized exams."(Kozol, p. 202-203)
Again, we see the issue of standardized testing and the funding that goes along with them.  If these schools do not meet their AYP then they can have the penalty of losing all their funding.  Without this funding schools are pretty much on their own for getting their scores up for the next time around.  Not only do they have to try and get these scores up, but they have to suffer with less money from the government.  I feel like this can make or break a school and determine the outcome of what happens in the lives of the children.  A lot lies on the shoulders of these exams and it is all how well the teachers prepare the students to ready them for these high stakes exams.

Quote 4- "If the president had used his leadership to advocate for transfers not only within school districts, but between them, the transfer option might have had real meaning and, indeed, if earnestly enforced, it might have opened up the possibilities for mightily expanded racial integration in suburban schools surrounding our core cities."(Kozol, p. 203-204)
I really thought this quote had great insight to how our presidents should have acted in the past in order to help diversify our school systems.  It could even work in todays day and age, but in order for this to happen, there needs to be a big change!  I grew up in  a suburban town, where our high school had students bused in from Hartford.  This opportunity for them to learn was much better than in their own community, but also this opportunity gave us the chance to learn from them and understand their culture. I feel like having a diverse school district is very important not only for the equality for all, but also for the opportunity for everyone to coexist and learn from one another.

Quote 5- "Playing games of musical chairs with children's lives, when half the chairs are broken and the best chairs are reserved primarily for people of his class and race, is cynical behavior in a president."(Kozol, p. 204)
I really liked this quote and the analogy of musical chairs to race and class of the president.  It was a aspiring quote and a strike to all the presidents and how they cannot find out how to create equality for all.  They have been saying they will for the longest time, but instead do what they think will make them look good.  Will the problem of inequality ever be solved?  I think there needs to be a drastic change in our world or politics to allow for equality.  I hope it will happen in my lifetime, but I don't think there is much hope for that to happen.

Quote 6- "Highly implausible test-score fluctuations in the Houston schools have awakened suspicions of cheating on the part of principals who had apparently been pressured by administrators to do anything they could to boost the scores."(Kozol, p. 206)
Ha ha.  How could this be true, cheating on the part of a principal?  This quote makes me laugh to see that someone could cheat to get his/her school to pass the standardized tests.  I understand that there is a lot of pressure on people high up to get their school to succeed the first time at these tests, but isn't cheating just setting up your students to fail in life.  By promoting cheating, students will think it is okay to do throughout their schooling career.  Cheating doesn't allow for any learning and these students are set up for failure.  If I were these principals, I would feel bad for the failure of the students I was responsible for!

Excluding Beauty- Jonathan Kozol Chapter 7

Quote 1- "I see old alfurbet letter hanging on one nail on the wall.  I see a dirty fire exit I see a old closet with supplys for the class.  I see pigeons flying all over the school.  I see old freght trains throgh the fence of the school yard.  I see pictures of contryies hanging on the wall and I see desks with wrighting all over the top of the desks and insited of the desk."(Kozol, p. 162)
This was a quote that Kozol read from the assignment that he assigned when teaching in a school in Boston.  It amazed me to see the spelling that the student lacked as well as the picture it left in my mind of the school.  This chapter focused a lot on the resources in schools as well as the physical outlook of the school.  I couldn't imagine being in a school that looked like this.  It seems like life would be very tough at this school.  Also, it seems as though the students aren't getting a great education based on the fact that the students that were assigned to this activity were in fourth grade and they are having trouble spelling at grade level.  I wonder what teachers were like in this school?  Also, I wonder what these teachers think of the school as well as what they expect from their students?

Quote 2- "You have to do what children do and breathe the air children breathe.  I don't think that there is any other way to find out what the lives that children lead in school are really like."(Kozol, p. 163)
I enjoyed reading this quote because it is so true!  As teachers, we need to follow our students through their educating journey and understand each individual.  We need to know their needs and abilities in order to help them succeed.  Children need to learn according to their strengths and focus hard on their weaknesses.  I just loved how Kozol said the first sentence of the quote about breathing the air children breathe.  It seems like it fits to perfect.  Many teachers these days find ways to get their students to succeed in school, but do they get to know them and help them succeed to their fullest potential?  I will strive as a teacher to get to know my students and help them in every possible way!

Quote 3- "He told me that the high-stakes standardized exams his students had to take were starting to control the teaching-much more than I'd like.  There was, as a consequence, no recess at the school."(Kozol, p. 165)
Here, we revisit the whole standardized testing discussion.  I think schools need to do a better job balancing the testing aspect with the fun and learning portion.  These tests are very important, but they shouldn't control a classroom or take away certain activities, such as recess in this example.  Standardized testing helps fund these schools and if they do well they will benefit greatly.  If they don't excel to their fullest potential, they shouldn't be punished and further worry them for the next time around.  This creates so many boundaries for learning and can possibly lead to the failure of students, as well as further bringing the school into disrepair.

Quote 4- "Standardized tests in language arts and mathematics started in the first grade at the school, the principal reported.  A first grade teacher had ten pages of enumerated standards, correlated with the items to be tested, posted on her wall."(Kozol, p. 170)
This quote arises a new aspect of standardized testing.  The standards a teacher is supposed to memorize and learn in order to teach their students can be very tedious and hard to understand.  If you don't understand what the students are supposed to know, how are you supposed to teach them?  I feel like the teacher learning what to be taught in order to pass these standardized tests can correlate to a college student cramming for an exam.  There is so much to be learned and taught not only by the teacher, but by the students as well.  They need to complete this task before they can move on and take the actual test.  I believe that there needs to be a better well-rounded curriculum set in place in order to help the teacher out and maximize learning and readiness for these tests.

Quote 5- "When we have to assign their kids to summer semesters and to portables while three miles down the road they can see schools with traditional calendars and with sufficient space, I can understand it when they ask, why are our children no important?"(Kozol, p. 171)
This brings up the whole topic of unequal schools and the privileges some schools have over others.  It's sad to see this quote and know that schools exist like this.  One school with so little and not enough resources and another school three miles away with so much.  Also, this quote talks about the insufficient space in schools and overcrowding that exists.  Why can't we just bus these children to the school down the street?  Would it be fair to the others at the school three miles back down the road?  Maybe we can zone the schools better and upgrade the school with little space and less resources to even out both schools.  This might create an equal opportunity for all, but would these parents in the "nicer" school allow this to happen?

Quote 6- "Why is it, she asked, that students who do not need what we need get so much more?  And we who need it so much more get so much less?"(Kozol, p. 183)
This is a perfectly respectable question to ask.  Why is that?  I think that people don't like to share and like to show off all the resources they have.  Even if the fact is that they don't even use half of what they have available to them.  Is there any program out there that connects schools with less resources with those that have a ample amount?  If not, maybe I will start one.  It is sad to see such great resources go to waste and collect dust, while other schools can't even afford to provide a pencil for a student.  Schools should have a checklist of stuff they really need and the extras can be shared through a system of give and take amongst schools.  Programs like these would greatly benefit the schools in need.  This will also show the students that we as a society need to help our peers in need.  Maybe it could lead to equality for all, but that is a stretch.

Inequality in Schools: Kozol Ch. 6, Anthology Ch.7&16, Spring Ch. 2

Quote 1- "Some go further and fake an address, as she reveals, ideally in an upscale catchment area that has an excellent zoned school (she names a few examples in primarily white neighborhoods) and then they prep their kids for IQ tests and interviews.  If they want to boost their child's chances even more, they pay for consulting services from private agencies that give them counseling on how to get their children into schools or programs for the talented and gifted." (Kozol, p.137)


This doesn't seem to surprise me one bit.  I can see many parents doing this just to get their child in a better school system.  I might even do the same as a parent, but only to a certain extent.  I feel that our children should get the best education possible and if a school cannot provide that for my child why send them to that school?  If there are teachers there that are well-educated then they can provide a great education for your child.  As far as prepping for IQ tests and interviews, I don't think that children should be pushed so hard in order to get into a better school, just to see parents satisfied.  Go to the local school nearest your home, maybe that school can benefit from your talents and gifts.

Quote 2- "Some people blame these racial differences primarily upon the values systems of black children and their parents.  The inequalities in educational provision that we give, or do not give, these children from the starting-gate are given less attention."(Kozol, p. 141)


Just hearing this quote about children of different backgrounds are given less attention from the starting-gate.  How can this be, that students are given an equal opportunity based on their race?  Maybe it is because of the school they go to and the opportunities at these schools aren't there for each child compared to other districts.  Just because one family may have different values from other families, does that mean they should be discriminated against, especially if a parents values aren't even the child's?  One should not base where a child should start educationally based upon their value systems.

Quote 3- "By the time they enter schools like these, the results of all their prior years of educational denial are not easily reversed.  Overcrowding and distasteful physical surroundings and large class size have their obvious effects as well.  Violence, when it breaks out from time to time, is hardly a surprise." (Kozol, p. 142)


It is sad to hear that these kinds of schools actually exist, but as upsetting as it is, it is true.  These schools really exist and are serious issues in our educational world.  How can a child learn if there are overcrowded classrooms and buildings?  Let alone there being physical distractions, such as water leaking into a classroom or broken desks.  It's sad to see other schools getting brand new computers while other schools can't even afford to have students sit at a desk.  I understand this book was written a couple years ago and some of the stories in the book are a little older than that, but it doesn't change some of the things still happening in our nations schools today.  We need to come together as a society and help these schools, in order to create a equal educational opportunity for all.

Quote 4- "Thirteen of the 15 teachers were provisionals, which meant they were not fully certified to teach.  Supplies were scarce.  Three of my classes don't have textbooks, said the principal.  I have to fight and scratch for everything we get." (Kozol, p. 143)


Wow!  How can this many teachers in one school building not be certified to teach?  I just can't even understand how this can happen.  How can a school district be so poor that they can only heir teachers that aren't even qualified for the job?  It makes you wonder if these kids are getting a education at all or maybe it is the opposite end of the spectrum and they may not be certified, but they are extremely "qualified."  It's sad to see that classes can't even afford the resources they need while other schools are given everything to them.  Why can't we spread the wealth and as I like to say, "share the love!"

Quote 5- "You see," he said with a slight stammer in his voice, "I don't have the least idea of where my life is heading, and these questions that you're asking make me scared." (Kozol, p. 147)


This was a quote that struck me.  It was when Kozol was talking to a group of boys about their future careers when a fight broke out right in front of them.  They weren't phased a bit, but rather continued the conversation.  Many of these students hadn't even thought of college or a career.  When I read the quote above of what one student told Kozol, it made me upset.  How can a student, so late in his educational career, not have options or at least be ready for the next step, such as college.  This just goes to show that  there is much inequality in our world.  Students aren't given the same options or led in the right direction as others.  We, as teachers, need to help our students open their minds to the future and provide guidance in their travels.

Quote 6- "Schools find meaningful relationships with businesses, universities, youth organizations, service agencies, and faith-based organizations." (Anthology, p. 165)


I found this quote to be reassuring in a way because schools are finding these partnerships to help them.  These partnerships help the schools with keeping children in schools and giving them other opportunities outside of the classroom.  These relationships are so powerful in the success of our schools and each individual child as well.  They provide funding, after school programs, and open several other opportunities for our children.  I know that CCSU is partnered with several schools in helping promote a positive education.  Students from CCSU are helping out in various ways in these schools.  It is a great way to benefit the helper as well as everyone in the school community.  I feel that all school districts should have these meaningful relationships with surrounding places of interest.

Quotes taken from Kozol Ch. 5, Spring Ch. 5, and Anthology Ch. 5&6

Quote 1- "So long as knowledge is considered something like a dot upon a map and learning is considered an assault upon that knowledge (invasion of the subject matter, followed by its capture), then it's hard to quarrel with the model that the CEO had used."(Kozol, p. 111)


This quote referred to the title of the chapter, The Road to Rome, an used a military metaphor to show how students need to be drilled rapidly in order to force the march of students to "Rome," or success/learning.  I found this quote to be quite disturbing.  I understand they are explaining the drilling of standardized testing to the path of success, but I feel offended that they need to use a military metaphor to explain the plan for teaching.  It doesn't seem right to me and the education process.  I understand we need to push hard with practicing for these standardized tests in order for students to succeed, but not through "military training."

Quote 2- "The children were told, she said, that "it's not just 'important' that they pass," but that "passing this-the test- is actually the only thing that is important.  One of her students "was throwing up and crying, so she couldn't take her test, because she was afraid she'd never be allowed to leave the school because she'd never pass the state exam."(Kozol, p. 113)


Talk about making a child so nervous that he/she is set up to fail.  Students shouldn't be scared to death about a standardized test, but rather should be encouraged to practice and try their best.  Scaring a child about a test and telling them that it is the most important thing in their life makes them even more nervous.  I remember growing up, there being plenty of practice before actually taking the test. This gave children some experience and practice for the certain test they are taking.  We must give our students some warm up and even a taste of what the test is going to be like, in order to give them the possibility for success.

Quote 3- "One of the distorting consequences that is taking an especially high toll on children of minorities, she notes, is the increasing practice of compelling children to repeat a grade or several grades over the course of years solely on the basis of their test results and, in some districts, almost wholly independent of the judgement of their principals and teachers." (Kozol, p. 117)


How can one test, one teacher, or one principal singly decide the success of a child?  If a child doesn't pass the test they shouldn't be held back.  I feel as if some school districts jump quickly to having a child stay back because of the fact that they didn't pass a standardized test.  I understand that standardized testing is important to schools and districts, but must they decide if a child moves on or not.  Maybe one of these children had a bad day or was under the weather, should this decide if they fail?

Quote 4- "We are giving kids less and calling it more," "limiting what we teach" to what " we can easily measure," pushing our students "to focus on memorizing information, then regurgitating fact,"  The student's job, he said, should not be only "to absorb information, but to make connections, find new patterns, imagine new possibilities..."  But imagination and inquiry are "not a big item" in the testing and accountability agenda, he went on.  "Choosing the right answer to someone else's question is what counts." (Kozol, p. 131)


Wow!  I loved the fact that this quote was included in Kozol's novel.  This quote still seems so true in some districts even though it was stated by Dr. Sobol in the mid 90's.  Many districts are still having students memorize information and having them regurgitate it word for word.  How can we expect students to do this and actually enjoy what they are learning and encourage them to keep coming to school?  I loved the three words in the middle of the quote, "imagine the possibilities..."  Amazing is all I have to say.  Let students imagine the possibilities and dream big.  Have them make connections and find new patterns.  Make sure they are thinking critically and using real world situations.  This will make your children want to come to school as well as maximizing their learning.

Quote 5- "An important understanding in multicultural education is that people can be bicultural in knowing and viewing the world.  This is particularly important for understanding the learning processes of students who have recently arrived in the United States." (Spring, p. 120)


I enjoyed reading this quote because it told us how important it is to understand multicultural education and how people are bicultural in knowing and viewing the rest of the world.  As a society we need to be open to others' views and lives.  This quote makes me relate it to ELL and how they need support when they first arrive in the U.S.. Especially in the education system, we need to be supportive and open to their diversity.  At the same time, we must help them adapt to our society, the way of life, and in the classroom.

Quote 6- "Anti-Bias Curriculum Tools for Empowering Young Children.  This curriculum and related methods of instruction are designed to reduce prejudice among young children regarding race, language, gender, and physical ability differences." (Spring, p. 129)


I was very informed by this quote and portion of the chapter on teaching about racism.  I liked seeing that there exists curriculums that help children learn about these prejudices and how to reduce the bias against others.  We need to teach children that everyone should be treated equally, no matter who they are or what they look like.  Everyone is different in their own way and these differences should be celebrated rather than judged!

Joel Spring- American Education Chapter 4

Quote 12
"Those Mexican children who did attend school faced segregation and an education designed to rid them of their native language and customs." (Spring p. 91)

This made me very upset to read!  How could a human being try to rid someone of their own customs?  Students were forced to conform to the language and customs of others.  That shows how horrible our country was in our history.  Every child should be given the opportunity to learn without being forced to change as an individual.  We need to provide these students with translators that can help them learn as well as having them learn the English language without feeling any regret to their own language and culture.

Joel Spring- American Education Chapter 4

Quote 11
"Two methods by which education can be used as a method of social control.  One is to deny a population the knowledge necessary to protect its political and economic rights and to economically advance in society; the other is segregation." (Spring p.90)


Why would someone in their right mind ever want to socially control someone through the use of education.  No one should be denied the knowledge necessary to protect its political and economic rights.  These children will go no where in life, if they do, they will have to work twice as hard just to get by.  Segregation was the main way in which education was a method of social control "back in the day."  they used segregation as a way to make children feel different from others, educationally, socially, and economically.  I can't believe this actually happened in the history of our country.  I'm glad we have grown, but not completely.  I feel like some students are still socially controlled because they can't choose which school they wish to attend or their parents can't afford to send them to school.

Joel Spring- American Education Chapter 4

Quote 10
"In California, Mexican Americans were classified as Caucasian until 1930 when California's Attorney General Webb categorized them as Indians.  He argued, "The greater portion of the population of Mexico are Indians."  Therefore, according to the California school code, Mexican Americans were segregated based on the provision the "governing board of school district shall have power to establish separate schools for Indian children, expecting children of Indians...who are the descendants of the original American Indians of the U.S.."  Mexican Americans were not considered "the original American Indians of the U.S.."(Spring p.89)

Just because one culture looks similar in some ways to another, doesn't mean that they should be deemed the same ethnic name.  Every individual is their own person and should be treated that way.  We are all free in America and shouldn't be given a name based on the population of a certain country.  In this quote I chose I thought it was wrong for the Attorney General to make this opinion on the basis that "the greater portion of the population of Mexico are Indians."  How can someone make a judgement based on this information?  Every ethnic background has their own name and culture, so we cannot begin to say people are the same because they look alike or because the majority of their population is of a different ethnic background.  This is like saying all Americans are black because the majority of the population is black.  That's not right!

Joel Spring- American Education Chapter 4

Quote 9
"Globalization of the labor market and the Immigration Act of 1965 are resulting in an increasingly diverse U.S. student population.  This phenomenon is not limited to the United States." (Spring p.86)

I knew that our population was becoming more and more diverse in the United States, especially in the school systems.  This is because many people from other countries are migrating to the U.S. for various reasons.  Whether it be for a freedom of religion, better education, or to just start a new life.  I never learned about the history of education during my schooling years, which I wish I had.  It was so interesting to find out about all the laws that restricted the migration of people from different ethnic backgrounds to the U.S..  I wish I got the opportunity to learn more about these issues in high school.

Jonathan Kozol-Shame of the Nation Ch.3 and 4

Quote 8
"There are middle schools in urban neighborhoods today where children are required, in effect, to choose careers before they even enter adolescence." (Kozol p.100)

This goes along with a previous quote I chose about kindergartners having to decide what profession they want to be when they grow up from posters around the classroom.  Why do students need to choose what they want to be when they are older in middle school and even in high school.  I understand them having to think about it and have a few in mind.  Leaving these students with possibilities allows them to succeed and really find what they will enjoy doing for their careers in the future.  I remember when I was in high school and I had to to complete several career paths of what I wanted to major in after high school at the various colleges I chose to apply to.  I found one that I really enjoyed and went into college decided in Marine Bio at the University of Rhode Island, later to transfer to CCSU and proceed my college career towards a teaching degree.  Let students experiment, offer them options, and tell them to dream big!

Jonathan Kozol-Shame of the Nation Ch.3 and 4

Quote 7
"Incentivized (this is another term one hears in many inner-city schools) by getting reimbursements for the acquisition of a skill in terms of simulated cash." (Kozol p.96)


Incentivized can be defined as giving incentives or more simply, a reward.  This bothered me that children were "incentivized" for completing a certain educational task.  An example of this was that students were provided earnings charts to calculate how much they will be paid for learning to write a sentence.  So does this mean as these students progress through their educational career they will expect a reward for everything they do well?  We cannot start giving these children, at such a young age, a reward for completing a task they should be completing at grade level.  I understand if these children receive a sticker or a little present for doing superb job on an assignment or contributing positively to the classroom.  By doing this, it will only hurt the careers of these young children.

Jonathan Kozol-Shame of the Nation Ch.3 and 4

Quote 6
"Starting in kindergarten, children in the school were being asked to think about the jobs that they might choose when they grew up.  The posters that surrounded them made clear which kinds of jobs they were expected to select." (Kozol p. 89)

This quote makes me very angry.  Not only are students at this age asked to think about jobs, but there are posters that these children are supposed to "expect to select?"  How is a child at this age supposed to select what they want to be when they grow up.  I am all for children having hopes and dreams, but I don't think high school aged students should have to decide what they want to do before they get to college.  These children are allowed to dream big and shouldn't be forced to choose from a picture of a professional on a poster.  We can give children ideas and different options, but shouldn't force them to choose.  These children can become whatever they want.  Most of them will look to a friend to join them in their future profession, or to a family member they really like.  We shouldn't pound the idea of a profession into a child's' mind that may have no clue how to read yet.

Jonathan Kozol-The Shame of the Nation Pages 1-108

Quote 5
"I love my job because I love my students," said one of the younger teachers at the school, "but I also hate my job because I know I'm buying into something that I don't believe in." (Kozol p.85)


Curriculum plays a big role in the education of students.  It determines what they are learning, materials, lesson planning, and sometimes how a lesson can be taught.  Many new teachers go into a school and are given a curriculum that they need to follow, which they might not necessarily like or believe in.  Despite the frustration towards the curriculum, the teacher must go ahead and implement it in the classroom.  Teachers who do not enjoy the curriculum may leave after only working in a certain school for a year because of this fact.  Districts buy certain curriculums that are "proven" to work only to find out that the teachers may despise them or even the children aren't gaining as much knowledge from them as they can and as are needed for their grade level.  I haven't had much experience with curriculums, so I can't say this is true for all.  I hope to learn more about the various curriculums before I start student teaching.

Jonathan Kozol-The Shame of the Nation Pages 1-108

Quote 4
"I asked her if she thought America did not "have room" for her or other children of her race.  "Think of it this was," said a sixteen-year-old girl sitting beside her.  "If people in New York woke up one day and learned that we were gone, that we had simply died or left for somewhere else, how would they feel?"
"How do you think they'd feel? I asked
"I think they'd be relieved," this very solemn girl replied"(Kozol pgs. 28-29)


Wow!  It is sad to think that to this very day, there are some communities and schools that may have this same opinion that this 16 year old high school girl does.  Why is there still racism in our world today?  Why can't people see each other as equals or if not respect the fact that we live in the same world and breath the same air?  I know our world can't be perfect, but why can't it just make sense?  I have even seen certain scenarios in an elementary classroom, where children in a second grade classroom made fun of a child of a certain color.  Do they get this from other children?  Do they get this from their parents?  Can racial segregation ever go away?...... I am baffled!

Jonathan Kozol-The Shame of the Nation Pages 1-108

Quote 3
"They don't have any friends who are white children.  When I take them with me sometimes to Manhattan to go shopping at a store for something special that they want or to a movie maybe on one of their birthdays, and they find themselves surrounded by a lot of white kids, many of the younger ones get very scared.  It's an utterly different world for them.  In racial terms, they're almost totally cut off." (Kozol p. 16-17)


I only have one simple word for this quote, sad!  I read this thinking that in 1994, much of our country and schools were diverse.  Little did I know!  I guess it was different growing up in a suburban town in Connecticut, compared to that of New York City.  I would have never thought that a child of color would have found the sight of a person of color scary during that time.  This just goes to show that economic status and location play a huge role in what your education could be like.  I feel we as teachers need to introduce our students to the world around us.  By connecting with classrooms around the world or looking into diversity throughout the schools.  Children need to be introduced to different cultures at an early age for them to gain an understanding of how other people/families live their lives compared to their own.  Not only will this show children how people differ throughout the world, but also it will help the child gain a better understanding of their own life.

Jonathan Kozol-The Shame of the Nation Pages 1-108

Quote 2
"For some reason, children in her class and other classes on her floor had to spend an awful lot of time in forming lines outside the doorways of their rooms, then waiting as long as 30 minutes for their turn to file downstairs to the cafeteria for lunch, then waiting in lines again to get their meals, then to go to recess, then to the bathroom, then return to class.  Nearly two hours had elapsed between the time Pineapple's classmates formed their line to go to lunch and finally returned."(Kozol p. 14)


This part of the book where Kozol is talking about Pineapple's class makes me very annoyed.  Not only that the children aren't doing a great job with moving from place to place, but the teacher has not taught them anything to help them with their transitioning skills.  We can't just yell at a child to do this, or be quiet, or go there.  We as teachers, need to, first, lay down rules, second, enforcer those rules, and finally if the rules aren't being followed, then we must teach these children the right way.  Teachers lose far to much time throughout the day transitioning from the classroom to other destinations around the school.  This is quality learning time.  Not only do teachers need to do a better time transitioning their class, but schools must help in the process.  Whether it be making another line in the cafeteria so lines will be shorter or changing the schedule a little to allow for this extended transition time.  All in all, there should be smooth transitions throughout the day in order to optimize learning for all.

Jonathan Kozol-The Shame of the Nation Pages 1-108

Quote 1
"The goal was to unlock the chains that held these children within caste-and-color sequestration and divorced them from the mainstream of American society." (Kozol, page 6)

This quote stated a goal that really stuck in my mind and I ended up reading it over several times.  The final goal that Kozol is stating came after a long set of goals he didn't want to only happen to help end racial segregation in the schools.  The terms caste-and-color sequestration was unfamiliar to me, so I wanted to look further into the phrase.  Simply, I found it to mean the removal of the racial segregation.  "Divorced them from the mainstream of American society," made me feel like they weren't one of us or part of a whole.  Not only in the classroom, or educational "whole," but also in the community, society, and the whole world itself.  I liked the goal that was set forth to obtain the finale to racial segregation in these schools.  How were they going to obtain this goal?  When would it happen?  Who would take charge?  All questions that I want to know after reading this quote.  The words Kozol uses are very intense and leave you to think deeply of each sentence meaning.