The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America - Book Report/Review Example

The Shame of the Nation Introduction Jonathan Kozol is an American educator and author. His many published and unpublished works are mostly on criticizing the evident educational and social inequalities in the United States. Having written on these society issues for more than 40 years, his energy and outrage on the subject appears not to have settled, exhausted or even reduced. The book The Shame of the Nation, was published in 2005, half a century after the Supreme Court in America declared that public school segregation squarely unconstitutional. However, in this book, Kozol finds that most of the children from the minority races especially the blacks in America continue to attend segregated schools and this has devastating effects on the child’s development as well as the academic performance, which then translate to their competence in the job market. In the preparation for the writing of this book, Kozol made situation assessment visits in more than 50 schools. From his observations well elaborated in the book chapters. The conditions in many of the schools especially in the inner cities exercised a modern day segregation, which according to him is much worse than the situation 50 years ago. In this book, Kozol observes that disparity in the expenditure on education financing and facilitation in the central cities and well to do suburbs. The disparity in facilitation is observed because the financing of the schools depends on the revenue that is collected from the community. In a typical situation, two different schools just 15 miles apart had different facilities and provided quite different educational opportunities based on the facilitation of the schools that is directly related to the neighborhoods. This paper provides a chapter-by-chapter review of the book The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. Chapter-chapter Review Chapter 1 In the first chapter of the book, which is titled “Dishonoring the Dead” the author looks deeper into the segregation status of the major urban school systems in the country. He observes the irony that the schools systems and their naming present. Most of these schools are named after leaders who were eloquent and strong in fighting for integration struggle yet the schools named after them are among the most segregated. Notable examples of these schools are the Thurgood Marshall Elementary school in Seattle, which according to his observation and assessment has a 95% minority, and a school named after Rosa Parks in California that consists of 80% minority. Kozol identifies that it is a dishonor to the dead. The schools were named after leaders who were strong in the integration campaign. In this chapter, the author also notes that the students in these schools are not aware of the actions of the leaders after whom the schools are named. Chapter 2 The author has given this chapter a title “Hitting Them Hardest When They’re Small.” This second chapter of his book, the author exposes issues in the shocking education system. First, he identifies that the minorities, with the current segregation, have limited access to preschool opportunities. As is the current education system, many children are first starting a two-year preschool program before joining the elementary school. However, Kozol observes that the minority children do not have this option. In the same chapter, Kozol observes that the program itself is so flawed that a child from a minority may qualify for a place in a good school but misses the place just out of the program being overbooked. Chapter 3 This chapter is titled “The Ordering Regime.” In the chapter, Kozol observes the segregation that happens in schools based on the curriculum recommendations of grading system. Most of the schools adopt testing criteria that groups the students into levels depending on their understanding of the concepts. The categorization is meant to help in assessment and decisions for further instructions. However, he observes that these levels are used to segregate and even describe some students. Chapter 4 “Preparing Minds for Market” is the title given to the chapter. This chapter continues the assessment of curriculum and how it perpetuates to segregation. In the chapter, he observes how in urban schools the teachers are keen to weave career-related content into the curriculum hence prepare the students for a career early enough. Learning is conducted as a possession and not an engagement, which Kozol observes does not exactly tally with the requirements of the market. Chapter 5 The road to Rome. In this chapter, Kozol, having a deep understanding of the education system as an educator observes that the high status tests offered in the schools are damaging. This is based on the argument he explains that there is little flexibility in the curriculum and at times, less content is shared with the students, and high grades are expected. This has negative psychological effects on children who sometimes become frustrated early in life. The exclusion of some of the subjects is also noted as a contributor to the lowering quality of education. Whereas the teachers think they are offering the students more, the reality is that they are offering less and at the same time damaging the students. Chapter 6 The chapter has been titled “A Hardening of Lines.” In this chapter, Kozol observes the difference between the enrollments of children in schools. From his observation, most schools are subjecting small children to entry tests. For them to perform well, most rich parents purchase similar pre-tests for their children and coach them beforehand. This makes them perform better than the minorities who cannot afford the pre-test coaching. The children education and their future is, therefore, based on the background from the beginning. Chapter 7 Kozol has significantly titled the chapter “Excluding the Beauty.” The author explores the poor conditions of the learning facilities especially in the areas where the highest population is the poor minority. The overcrowded classrooms and lack of facilities are observed as the main cause of poor education status and learning for the minorities. Basic facilities such as space, textbooks and other commodities are missing and contributing directly to the poor outcome of these schools and their students. Chapter 8 Tactically, the author has titled this chapter “False Promises.” The chapter first narrates Kozol’s own experience as a teacher at a time when a program that was meant to reduce segregation failed due to lack of facilitation. He relates the lack of planning in that time with the current program that was initiated in 1990 to increase turnover of school principals and ensure that they only served in a school for one year. Kozol flaunts the idea explaining that a change of leadership is not a solution. Chapter 9 “Invitations to Resistance” is the title of the chapter. From this point, Kozol tries to explore the ways in which the situation can be improved or changed altogether. The chapter is divided into two sections. In the first section, Kozol reports on the efforts that should be present from the teachers and principals as a means of resisting the activities that promote segregation in schools. The second section of this chapter compiles examples of desegregation projects that have been successful in various counties. However, Kozol mentions the presence of threats to such projects that promote integration. Chapter 10 In this tenth chapter of the book, Kozol continues to explore options to reduce segregation. The chapter is titled “A National Horror Hidden in Plain View” and in it, the author explores the US legal system as a valid option in the solution. Combating apartheid schooling has been attempted by the local, states and federal courts in different parts of the country some of the cases being successful while others not quite so. The chapter explores the depths of these legal solutions. Kozol, therefore, explores how the legal department in the country can take part in the efforts to bring equality to students in schools that still experience segregation. Chapter 11 This chapter is aimed at criticizing the words of the legislators and the leaders regarding the issue. It is thus titled “Deadly Lies.” Kozol explores the words of a politician who promised to streamline the system and terms it as the kind of lies and empty words that most Americans. Kozol argues that the verbal encouragement to the students whereas there is no funding and facilitation does not help them. The rest of the chapter explores the applicability of the “standard-based reform” strategy. Kozol supports the strategy and idea but observes that there are many small segregated institutions the strategy may fail to cover. Chapter 12 This last chapter is titled Treasured Places and is devoted to the explanation of the success that in his tour Kozol observed. The chapter looks into the commentary of selected teachers that Kozol interacted with in his visit. The chapter is meant to show that even with the segregation issue there is still hope. Implication of the book on criminal justice The pivotal Supreme Court decision that launched the modern civil rights movement in 1954 was no accident. The declaration that happened more than 50 years ago identified the segregation in the public schools in America as an illegal, activity. It is a breach of the civil rights of the people. The decision was not based on the mere desire to have the whites sit among other races in the classrooms but as a way to ensure that the principle of equality is propagated. It stemmed from the observation that the dominant group would maintain and keep control of the most successful learning institutions and prevent the rest from enjoying the educational and career opportunities that are present in the country. For this reason, it is a crime under the American law to segregate learners based on their race or socioeconomic background. The legal system has a mandate to ensure that a segregation case is handled in line with the original motive of the declaration. In as much as the legal system is equipped to handle such cases, there are issues that require to be solved. First, the criminal justice administrators should work independently in all states and decide on these cases based on the merits of the case. Background research is necessary to ensure that the extent of segregation is assessed. Secondly, the culprits of educational segregation should be punished in accordance with the law to serve as examples to others. Thirdly, the legislators should ensure that there is monitoring of the activities of schools starting from the enrolment procedures to the grading criteria. Lastly, the legislators should learn to implement their own words and always depend on information from educators who are analytical of the system. Work cited Kozol, Jonathan. The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. New York: Crown Publ, 2005. Print. Read More