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As seen on Humans of New York, Jonathan Conyers introduces us to the teachers, his debate coach, a homeless man, and a boy named Diego who changed his life. Booklist calls it “a moving story about finding your supporters and building your future.” Everybody was rooting for Jonathan Conyers after seeing his profile on Humans of New York went viral and sparked millions in donations to the Brooklyn Debate League. The kid who went from struggling to read to being a breakout star on his high school debate team, thanks to a life-changing friendship with his transgender debate coach, captured the heart of America. Jonathan's story highlights the important role teachers play in opening up worlds of opportunity for the most vulnerable students. In I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here, Jonathan shares the full story of his incredible journey escaping the precarious circumstances he was born into, and the teachers, mentors, and guides who helped him along the way. ​ Born into a family crippled by addiction and homelessness, Jonathan “failed” kindergarten and was told he would never succeed academically. But instead, Jonathan found ways to defy the limited expectations placed upon him by building a village to save his own life, and realize his dream to get into medical school. Throughout this heartwarming memoir, we meet the unique and diverse cast of characters who made up Jonathan's village and helped him change the trajectory of his life.

While schools often are framed as places of neutrality and fairness, many American schools have harmed Black children or been silent in the face of their struggles, under-education, and mistreatment. While there are undoubtedly adults in these spaces who support Black children, many others ignore Black families, minimize students'concerns, and believe that colorblindness will solve the problem of inequity in education. Embedded in everyday realities, the authors outline the many ways anti-Blackness shows up in schools. Drawing on more than 44 years of equity work, they provide concrete, doable, and meaningful ways in which teachers and administrators can create Black-affirming spaces. Written for pre- and in-service teachers and others working with Black children and youth, Anti-Blackness at School explores both the scope of anti-Blackness and how teachers can reject racism.Book Features:Provides interracial perspectives from authors Joi Spencer, a Black woman from California, and Kerri Ullucci, a White woman from Rhode Island. Uses case studies, activities, lessons, and techniques to talk about anti-Blackness, inventory its presence, and take steps to address the harm caused by it. Calls out how school policies, programs, belief systems, and customs are particularly hostile to Black youth. Explains why diversity work is not synonymous with antiracist work, offering a model focused on justice and equity. Directs practitioners to easily accessible resources that will allow them to challenge racism and uplift Black youth in their care.

In 2021, the United States Census Bureau reported that in 2020, during the rise of the global health pandemic COVID-19, homeschooling among Black families increased five-fold. However, Black families had begun choosing to homeschool even before COVID-19 led to school closures and disrupted traditional school spaces. Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture offers an insightful look at the growing practice of homeschooling by Black families through this timely collection of articles by education practitioners, researchers, homeschooling parents and homeschooled children. Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture honestly presents how systemic racism and other factors influence the decision of Black families to homeschool. In addition, the book chapters illustrate in different ways how self-determination manifests within the homeschooling practice. Researchers Khadijah Ali-Coleman and Cheryl Fields-Smith have edited a compilation of work that explores the varied experiences of parents homeschooling Black children before, during and after COVID-19. From veteran homeschooling parents sharing their practice to researchers reporting their data collected pre-COVID, this anthology of work presents an overview that gives substantive insight into what the practice of homeschooling looks like for many Black families in the United States.

Racism by Another Name: Black Students, Overrepresentation, and the Carceral State of Special Education is a thought-provoking and timely book that provides a landscape for understanding and challenging educational (in)opportunities for Black students who are identified for special education. This book provides a historical and contemporary analysis through the eyes of Black children and their families on how they navigate and push against inequitable schooling, ways they are reframing discourse about race, dis/ability, and gender in schools, how educators, administrators, and school counselors contribute to disproportionality in special education, and ways that parents are collectively organizing to dismantle injustices and the carceral state, or criminalization, of special education. Each chapter provides a ground level view of what Black students with dis/abilities experience in the classroom, and examines how the intersection of race, dis/abilty, and gender subject Black students to dehumanizing experiences in school. This book includes qualitative and quantitative approaches to exploring the material realities of Black students who are isolated, whether in separate or general education classrooms. Drawing from Critical Race Theory, DisCrit, Critical Race Feminism, and other race-centered frameworks this book challenges dominant norms of schools that reinforce inequality and racial segregation in special education. At the end of each chapter the authors present practitioner-based notes and resources for readers to expand their knowledge of how Black students, their family, and guardians advocate for themselves and their own children. This book will leave educational advocates for Black children with a clearer understanding of the obstacles and successes that they encounter when striving for a just and equitable education. Furthermore, the book challenges readers to be active agents of change in their own schools and communities.

The literature tells us that parental involvement affects academic achievement. However, much of the literature on parental involvement focuses on the involvement of mothers with limited information about the involvement of fathers, especially African American fathers. The parental involvement literature on African American fathers is insufficient compared to their White counterparts. African American fathers do not have a “voice” in the literature on parental involvement. A racial and gender bias exists in the literature on parental involvement that marginalizes the voice of African American fathers. African American Fathers'Involvement in their Children's Education seeks to understand the relationship that African American fathers have with the education of their children by using Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework to privilege the'voice'of African American fathers. This text focuses on the contributions that African American fathers make in the lives of their children and families, challenges the master deficient narrative, and humanizes African American fathers. This book purposefully and unapologetically portrays African American fathers as the brilliant, excellent human beings they are.

Through powerful narratives of parents of Black and Latinx students with disabilities, this book provides a unique look at the relationship between disability, race, urban space, and market-driven educational policies. Offering significant insights into complex forms of educational exclusion, the text illustrates the actual challenges and paradoxes of school choice faced by today's parents. Included are explanations for the kinds of injustices students with disabilities face every day, as well as resources that can be helpful for engaging in collective action aimed at improving educational services for all children. This accessible resource offers recommendations to help policymakers, charter school administrators, teachers, and families tackle the challenges of school choice while dealing effectively with the new generation of inclusive schools.Book Features:Presents a first-of-its-kind look at how Black and Latinx parents of students with disabilities experience market-driven approaches to education. Identifies the consequences of push-out practices in charter schools and how families experience and resist these practices. Situates school choice amid historical and compounding forms of exclusion associated with geographical (neighborhood) and social (disability, race, and class) locations.Provides lessons learned and valuable guidance for creating a new generation of inclusive charter schools.

'Beals'recollection of white oppression and her rise above it will haunt readers. A must-read for teens.'—School Library JournalFrom the legendary civil rights activist and author of the million-copy-selling Warriors Don't Cry comes an ardent and profound childhood memoir of growing up while facing adversity in the Jim Crow South.Long before she was one of the Little Rock Nine, Melba Pattillo Beals was a warrior. Frustrated by the laws that kept African-Americans separate but very much unequal to whites, she had questions. Why couldn't she drink from a'whites only'fountain? Why couldn't she feel safe beyond home—or even within the walls of church? Adults all told her: Hold your tongue. Be patient. Know your place.But Beals had the heart of a fighter—and the knowledge that her true place was a free one.Combined with emotive drawings and photos, this memoir paints a vivid picture of Beals'powerful early journey on the road to becoming a champion for equal rights, an acclaimed journalist, a best-selling author, and the recipient of this country's highest recognition, the Congressional Gold Medal.

This edited book reflects a much needed area of scholarship as the voices of African American (AA) or Black students defined by various labels such as learning disability, blindness/visual impairment, cognitive development, speech or language impairment, and hearing impairment are rare within the scholarly literature. Students tagged with those identifiers within the Pk-20 academic system have not only been ignored, and discounted, but have also had their learning framed from a deficit perspective rather than a strength-based perspective. Moreover, it was uncommon to hear first person narratives about how AA students have understood their positions within the general education and special education systems. Therefore, with a pervasive lack of knowledge when it comes to understanding the experiences of AA with disabilities, this book describes personal experiences, and challenges the idea that AA students with disabilities are substandard. While this book will emphasize successful narratives, it will also provide counter-narratives to demystify the myth that those with disabilities cannot succeed or obtain terminal degrees. Overall, this edited book is a much needed contribution to the scholarly literature and may help teachers across a wide array of academic disciplines in meeting the academic and social needs of AA students with disabilities. ENDORSEMENTS: Dr. Shawn Robinson's collection of personal narratives raises critical questions about the U. S. public education system. Written by African Americans compartmentalized in special education programs because of actual or perceived disabilities, these stories will impel readers even tangentially affiliated with educational institutions to consider testing, placement, mainstreaming, retention and promotion, and other assessment policies that determine grade-level readiness. Thanks to Robinson, the perspectives of these graduates who surmounted barriers to more positive and accommodating learning environments now receive proper attention. ~ John Pruitt, University of Wisconsin-Rock County With a bold vision, Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson enters the discussion of Special Education with a collection of narratives that highlight the struggles and triumphs of marginalized students. In America, we have a long, contested history of “inclusion” of students of color and difference in our public, mainstream institutions. When these students are invited to the education table, they still must overcome persistent and pernicious barriers to true and equal educational opportunities. Consequently, students are left to “sink or swim” in oceans disparity and inequity. This collection of narratives and counter-narratives, confront the absence of adequate research and other empirical evidence of pedagogy and practice that would be essential to 21st Century progress in educational praxis. This volume represents one, important step towards adding new voices to the continuing struggle of meaningful inclusion. How might students of color and difference succeed in an education system that provides “no room to bloom? The authors address this challenge by exploring topics such as Aspirational Capital, Linguistic Capital, Familial Capital, Social Capital, Navigational Capital and Resistance Capital. The reader will be exposed to ideas that will help students “make a way out of no way” by working both within and against educational systems full of barriers and opportunities. Congratulations to Dr. Robinson and his colleagues as the content of this volume represents an important contribution to the extant literature. ~ Gregory A. Diggs, Denver, Colorado

Multicultural Education of Children and Adolescents explores the foundations of diversity through cultural portraits of young people from a variety of backgrounds, and provides practical strategies for shaping and implementing a multicultural curriculum. In Part I, the authors introduce multicultural education as a concept and document the increasing cultural diversity of the United States. The text describes, in Part II, various cultural groups—including African, American Indian, and Hispanic cultures—to help pre-service teachers better understand the backgrounds of diverse learners. Part III focuses on topics that educators should consider when planning and implementing programs that teach acceptance and respect for cultural diversity. Through this series of applied chapters, teacher candidates will learn to use the most effective instructional practices with diverse learners, and to work successfully with families, school personnel, and administrators to implement a multicultural program. Content and features new to the sixth edition include the following: Every chapter opens with a real-life story that introduces the subject matter by showing the ideas in action. Points to Ponder boxes urge readers to reflect more deeply on information they have just read. Additional Case Studies with accompanying Questions for Discussion in all chapters enable nuanced consideration of the crucial differences between culturally specific learning styles. Increased emphasis on Social Justice and White Privilege, including its effects on all people. Chapter 13 has been significantly revised to include increased and updated information on sexual orientation, including transgender students. Chapters in Part II now feature further expanded sections on socioeconomic status and conditions of each ethnic group.

There has been much attention given to the achievement gap between white and minority students, especially African American children. Through research and years of experience, the author breaks down the cultural influences on children's learning styles and provides a practical approach to helping black children thrive in the classroom.For black children, which Sullivan defines as those of African descent, there is a disconnect between learning preferences and learning environments that must be bridged before the achievement gap can be closed. This hands-on resource is filled with effective strategies and best practices to help early childhood educators expand their'toolbox'for supporting children. Increasing cultural intelligence will allow us to work across the many differences in our classrooms. As our schools become more diverse, cultural competency will be an increasingly important skill for teacher's efficacy and children's success. By cultivating the individual genius of each child and meeting children where they are today, we can invigorate the education system and provide children high-quality early education experiences.Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan, EdD, is the cofounder and president of Praxis Institute for Early Childhood Education. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in higher education as a teacher, researcher, and administrator.

This important book is a call to action for the library community to address the literacy and life outcome gaps impacting African American youth. It provides strategies that enable school and public librarians to transform their services, programs, and collections to be more responsive to the literacy strengths, experiences, and needs of African American youth.According to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP), only 18 percent of African American fourth graders and 17 percent of African American eighth graders performed at or above proficiency in reading in 2013. This book draws on research from various academic fields to explore the issues surrounding African American literacy and to aid in developing culturally responsive school and library programs with the goal of helping to close the achievement gap and improve the quality of life for African American youth.The book merges the work of its three authors along with the findings of other researchers and practitioners, highlighting exemplary programs, such as the award-winning Pearl Bailey Library Program, the Maker Jawn initiative at the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate writing institute in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, among others. Readers will understand how these culturally responsive programs put theory and research-based best practices into local action and see how to adapt them to meet the needs of their communities.

An all-in-one toolkit that empowers new teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners When novice teachers are assigned to teach disadvantaged students, the results are predictable: growing tension and frustration on both sides, leading to disengaged students and disillusioned educators. Gail and Rufus Thompson are renowned experts on bridging the instructional gaps between teachers and students who don't look like them. In this book, the authors show new teachers how to flourish by building on the assets of their students and the students'families. Yes, You Can! holds up a mirror to deeply-held beliefs about race and other variables of difference. Through interactive exercises, readers gain confidence and empathy that translate to success for students. The book includes: Powerful vignettes about real teachers and students that help promote teacher empathy and understanding Original research conducted by the authors on the confidence levels of new and experienced educators Targeted strategies for many student profiles: African American, Latino, Asian American, White, high-achiever, low-achiever, and more Before learning can take place, there must be mutual understanding and respect between student and teacher. Yes, You Can! ensures these critical links are strong.'This is one of the most useful books I have read in some time! Whether novice or veteran, if one truly wants to be successful in teaching children of color, this exciting book is an invaluable tool. From their extensive experience as successful classroom teachers, researchers, and leaders of professional development, the authors combine authentic scenarios, reflection activities, and suggested strategies that empower educators in being effective with students at all grade levels and from all demographic groups in our society.'—Randall B. Lindsey, Professor Emeritus California State University, Los Angeles

'Inspiring stories, practical tips and expert advice.'—Ebony'Inspiring stories and practical tips urge parents and caregivers to unlock their children's potential.'—Library Journal'A much-needed resource that will enable parents to become partners in their children's academic success. Read it and tell others to read it.'—Marian Wright Edelman, Founder, Children's Defense FundThere's a crisis in our classrooms. In school districts across the country, children of color earn sub-par test scores, and are frequently relegated to less challenging classes. Low achievement will doom our children to a future far beneath their capabilities—unless we do something about it. In this updated edition of Achievement Matters, Hugh B. Price, the former President of the National Urban League, shows you how to help your child succeed, and make America's public schools accountable. A vital resource for parents and caregivers, here are practical tips for improving children's literacy and achievement levels while instilling a lifelong enthusiasm for education. Price explains how to make sure your child isn't missing out on essential courses, recommends proven techniques for cutting through bureaucracy to create an environment conducive to learning, and shares insightful personal stories. From using the latest technology to providing after-school and summer programs to give our youth direction and keep them away from drugs and violence, this book offers real tools for making a powerful, positive impact and guiding your child to the brightest possible future.'A noteworthy effort to improve parental involvement, student motivation, and institutional accountability.'—Kweisi Mfume, former President and CEO, NAACP66,870 Words

Praise for the First Edition:'This book argues convincingly that children's cultural differences need to be recognized for any accurate understanding of their development. Pointing out the need for additional and more effectively designed research, Harris and Graham provide a valuable foundation for further investigations. This nonpolemic book should be in all libraries, filling an unfortunate gap. Highly recommended.'--Choice This is an evenhanded examination of the challenges affecting the lives of African American children that emphasizes their strengths and resiliency rather than deficits. It is the only text to comprehensively consider the biological, emotional, social, and cultural domains of development in this population. The second edition reflects an acceleration of research on the development of racial identity in African American children, a shift from the dictates of'No Child Left Behind'to a more flexible approach to student academic evaluation, and changes in the economic conditions of African American children and their families. The book also reflects the increase in the number of African American children in foster care and those with incarcerated parents. New coverage also includes new information about the mental health of African Americans, and a new chapter on adolescent development. This new edition features updated statistical information on health problems, healthcare access, new diagnostic techniques, new treatment approaches, and the number of children of African origin. It provides an expanded discussion of the value of qualitative methodology, ethical issues in research, and a discussion of the characteristics of middle and upper class African American families. End-of-chapter discussion questions, an'Insiderís Voice'in each chapter that highlights important elements, and an'Issues Box'that highlights historic and legal issues also enhance the second edition. New to the Second Edition:New inclusion of information on African American adolescents A discussion of the impact of parental incarceration on the long- and short-term outcomes of African American children Updated statistical information on health, academic performance, language and literacy, and other issues Information about children of African origin and their families Information about middle and upper class African American families Expanded discussion of the value of qualitative methodology and ethical issues in research on African American children New diagnostic techniques and treatment approaches for sickle cell anemia Update on work with AA families and children in therapy and the role of community focused therapy A discussion of the role of self-efficacy on academic competence, the influence of NCLB on academic performance, and current initiatives to improve academic outcomes for African American children The current status of Oakland School Boardís Ebonics Resolution New information on Prosocial Behavior and Empathy and Aggressive/Antisocial behavior among African American children Expanded section on how communities affect the lives of African American children including research on African American children and the media End-of-chapter discussion questions'Insiderís Voice'and'Issues Box'features in each chapter

This book is a critically important contribution to the work underway to transform schooling for students who have historically been denied access to a quality education, specifically African American children. The first section of the book provides some historical perspective critical to understanding the current state of education in the U.S., specifically for the education of African American children. The following sections include chapters on policy, learning, ethnomathematics, student identity, and teacher preparation as it relates to the mathematical education of Black children. Through offering “counternarratives” about mathematically successful Black youth, advocating for a curriculum that is grounded in African American culture and ways of thinking, providing shining examples of the brilliance of Blacks students, and promoting high expectations for all rather than situating students as the problem, the authors of this book provide powerful insights related to the teaching and learning of mathematics for African American students. As is made evident in this book, effective teaching involves much more than just engaging students in inquiry-based pedagogy (Kitchen, 2003). The chapters offered in this book demonstrate how mathematics instruction for African American students needs to take into account historical marginalization and present-day policies that do harm to Black students (Kunjufu, 2005). Empowering mathematics instruction for African American students needs to take into consideration and promote students'cultural, spiritual, and historical identities. Furthermore, mathematics instruction for African American students should create opportunities for students to express themselves and the needs of their communities as a means to promote social justice both within their classrooms and communities.

Unearthing Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching: The Legacy of Gloria Jean Merriex focuses on the theory and practices of a highly successful mathematics teacher of African American children in a high-poverty school. The book aims to contribute to the limited literature base in this area in mathematics education. The discussions in the book center on the ideals of culturally responsive teaching (CRT), and seek to build understanding of this concept in the context of mathematics. Further, the story of Gloria Jean Merriex speaks to the importance of historical influences on teaching practice. Her story is couched in sociopolitical realities of the American educational system, and is discussed as such. Cultural incongruities that exist in classrooms and contribute to the black-white achievement gap, particularly in mathematics, are also discussed.

From the Winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Education in 2007'In the world of education reform, where silver-bullet ideas, ideologies, and intellectual fashion clamor for influence, James Comer's thinking has long been a sea of calm, balanced, and humane wisdom focused on the needs of the whole person. Reading Comer you see the incompleteness of so many other approaches to reform, as well as learn an integrated approach to making schools work. And now, here it all is in a single book. If you want to see how schools can actually work, as opposed to affiliate with a prior belief about how they should work, this is a must read.'—Claude Steele,professor, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University'The best introduction?professional and personal—to the remarkable world of James Comer: physician-educator, par excellence.'—Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts'James Comer is a rare constellation among social scientists: a great intellect, a keen analyst, a creative problem-solver and a man of enormous empathy. His writings are required reading for anyone interested in education reform or improving the odds for poor children.'—Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO, Harlem Children's Zone

With issues of equity at the forefront of mathematics education research and policy, Mathematics Teaching, Learning, and Liberation in the Lives of Black Children fills the need for authoritative, rigorous scholarship that sheds light on the ways that young black learners experience mathematics in schools and their communities. This timely collection significantly extends the knowledge base on mathematics teaching, learning, participation, and policy for black children and it provides new framings of relevant issues that researchers can use in future work. More importantly, this book helps move the field beyond analyses that continue to focus on and normalize failure by giving primacy to the stories that black learners tell about themselves and to the voices of mathematics educators whose work has demonstrated a commitment to the success of these children.

Based on extensive fieldwork in schools and communities in St. Louis and Atlanta,Troubling the Waterscaptures the experiences of today's African American families like no other book. Reframing the debates around urban schooling, Jerome Morris offers an empirically based, research foundation for a new scholarly movement in African American's quest for quality schooling. In this contemporary critique, Morris counters the views by neoconservatives that racism no longer exists, while simultaneously offering a poignant analysis of the “desegregation-only”paradigm towards achievingBrown'spromises. Essential reading for educators, scholars, and policymakers who are deeply committed to improving the education of Black children, this timely book: Situates African Americans'pursuit of quality education outside the traditional liberal versus conservative dichotomy. Revisits the role of African American culture, identity, and institutions in the educational achievement of Black children today. Discusses organizational characteristics within schools that constrain or support African American students'educational experiences and outcomes. Examines the implications for urban education and school reform.Jerome E. Morrisis an associate professor in the College of Education, and director of the “Race, Class, Place and Outcomes Research Group” at the Institute for Behavioral Research at The University of Georgia.“In an ‘either-or'world of structural versus symbolic, liberal versus conservative, and segregated versus desegregated, Jerome Morris elucidates a ‘third way'approach to analyzing the plight of African Americans as they seek educational opportunities to enhance their lives. This multisite study of resilience, agency, and community provides a vision reminiscent of the African tradition of Sankofa —to return to the root in order to move forward.”—Gloria Ladson-Billings, University of Wisconsin-Madison'Perhaps the most important contribution of this welcome book is the way it refocuses our attention on the character of high-achieving schools for urban African American children. It is an impressive addition to a growing body of work attesting to the particular power of social capital in the lives of poor children.'—Charles M. Payne, The University of Chicago“Troubling the Waterscomes at a time when society is demanding of urban schools massive improvements even as it is systematically abandoning these very institutions. This book will become required reading for those who seek insights into achieving the one Great Ideal, as Du Bois put it—the abolition of the color line.” —Garrett AlbertDuncan, Washington University, St. Louis“While color-blind conservatives dismiss the significance of race, and race-conscious liberals pursue desegregation remedies within narrower legal parameters, Morris's timely ethnographic study reflects the wisdom of W.E.B. Du Bois: ‘The Negro needs neither segregated nor mixed schools. What he needs is education.'” —Jack Dougherty, Trinity College

Because the attrition rate for new teachers in high-poverty schools averages between 40% and 50% over the first five years of teaching, this investigation offers practical solutions to more than 100 of the daily challenges they face. With an emphasis on pragmatic approaches that can be accomplished in the classroom, the book argues that many of the skills necessary for teaching in urban schools are not properly taught in university programs and that most white teachers simply have to learn by experience. Written from a black perspective and supported by real-life examples and details rather than theory, this helpful compendium of advice and expertise tackles issues of race and class while outlining the many ways in which the American school system is designed to contribute to a teacher's struggle.

'This book argues convincingly that children's cultural differences need to be recognized for any accurate understanding of their development. Pointing out the need for additional and more effectively designed research, Harris and Graham provide a valuable foundation for further investigations. This nonpolemic book should be in all libraries, filling an unfortunate gap. Highly recommended.'--Choice: Current Reviews for Academic LibrariesThis major new textbook introduces students to issues that have an impact on the lives of African American children but have typically been ignored (or inadequately discussed) in mainstream child development textbooks. The authors hope to familiarize students with a sampling of research that moves beyond a deficit view of the development of the African American child while stimulating critical thinking about future directions for research on African American children and their families.The book is designed to be student friendly--with each chapter presenting an overview of the material covered as well as an'Insider's Voice'(which offers a personal story or viewpoint about the issues discussed in the chapter). Each chapter goes on to feature a dialogue of current biological, environmental, constructivist, and cultural-contextual theories) as well as suggestions for additional reading, videos, websites, and questions to guide critical thinking.

'Ethel Robinson has written an amazing book. As she wisely argues, despite a rapidly growing middle and upper class, popular media and public debates continue to view African-American families from a deficit perspective. Portrayals of African-American families in newspapers, television, and contemporary scholarship tend to focus on single-parent households, low parental expectations, and lack of family involvement in schooling. The families you will meet in this book contradict these stereotypes. In carefully crafted vignettes, Dr. Robinson paints an alternative portrait of life in African-American households. In this marvelous book, you will see eight intact families intimately involved in the academic and social lives of their children. Some volunteer in their children's classrooms; others serve as devoted tutors and mentors; still others are active advocates, arguing passionately for school services; all hold fast to the hope that their children will achieve their piece of the American dream. This book is a powerful antidote to the negative portrayals of African-American families that abound in mainstream media. It is a'must-read'for researchers, educators, and all who wish to look beyond and beneath the stereotypes of African-American family life.'~ Susan Hynds, Ph.D., Professor of English Education, Syracuse University Reading and Language Arts Center

Malik Goes to School: Examining the Language Skills of African American Students From Preschool-5th Grade synthesizes a decade of research by the authors, Holly Craig and Julie Washington, on the oral language and literacy skills of African American children from preschool to fifth grade. Their research has characterized significant influences on the child's use of AAE and the relationship between AAE and aspects of literacy acquisition. The research has also led to the characterization of other nondialectal aspects of language development. The outcome has been a culture-fair, child-centered language evaluation protocol.This very readable volume will be important to students, clinicians, and teachers, learning about and working with, African American children. The book has direct relevance to academic planning, clinical decision-making, curriculum development, and educational policymaking.

This challenge to influential educator Ruby Payne's theories about the impact of class differences and economics on teaching and learning puts forward other factors as better predictors of student performance. Pointing to success stories in schools that serve low-income students, this refutation of Payne's popular teacher-training program asserts that teacher expectations, time on task, and the principal's leadership are the main factors in determining educational outcomes at a school. Abandoning Payne's framework of teacher-student income disparities, racial makeup, and per-pupil expenditure, this critical analysis asserts the human component as the most powerful tool for improving education in failing schools.

This critical analysis looks at the disproportionate number of African American males in special education. Arguing that the problem is race and gender driven, questions covered include Why does Europe send more females to special education? Why does America lead the world in giving children Ritalin? Is there a relationship between sugar, Ritalin, and cocaine? and Is there a relationship between special education and prison? More than 100 strategies to help teachers and parents keep black boys in the regular classroom, such as revising teacher expectations, increasing parental involvement, changing teaching styles from a left-brain abstract approach to a right-brain hands-on approach, redoing the curriculum, understanding the impact of mass media, and fostering healthy eating habits.

In Learning While Black Janice Hale argues that educators must look beyond the cliches of urban poverty and teacher training to explain the failures of public education with regard to black students. Why, Hale asks simply, are black students not being educated as well as white students? Hale goes beyond finger pointing to search for solutions. Closing the achievement gap of African American children, she writes, does not involve better teacher training or more parental involvement. The solution lies in the classroom, in the nature of the interaction between the teacher and the child. And the key, she argues, is the instructional vision and leadership provided by principals. To meet the needs of diverse learners, the school must become the heart and soul of a broad effort, the coordinator of tutoring and support services provided by churches, service clubs, fraternal organizations, parents, and concerned citizens. Calling for the creation of the'beloved community'envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Hale outlines strategies for redefining the school as the Family, and the broader community as the Village, in which each child is too precious to be left behind.'In this book, I am calling for the school to improve traditional instructional practices and create culturally salient instruction that connects African American children to academic achievement. The instruction should be so delightful that the children love coming to school and find learning to be fun and exciting.'—Janice Hale

Exclusion and miseducation of black children is endemic in the US and UK. This book takes a long, hard look at the two countries and uncovers what they can learn from each other in their approaches to tackling this problem. The material in the book is the result of extensive work with educators, researchers and scholars working in the area of education and disaffection in the US and the UK.Richard Majors and his contributors are at the vanguard of research into this topic and this book is one of the most important titles published on the education of black children in recent times.Gathering together the issues and looking at real-world approaches, this book does not simply advance the debate: it tables some serious solutions to serious problems.This is a ground-breaking book based on cutting-edge research from writers and experts recognised the world over for their expertise. People will take note of what this book has to say.

The relationship between self-esteem and student achievement is analyzed in this book.

George Henderson offers us a personal and unflinching look at black/white relations in the United States. Using autobiography, analysis and scholarship, Henderson challenges all to evaluate the future of race relations in America.

Lower school achievement of minority children is usually explained by projecting'deficits'upon the children -- deficits that are attributed to genetic or environmental causes. In contrast with tradition, the contributors to this book demonstrate how group differences in academic accomplishment and test scores are affected by cultural factors and standard educational practices as well.