Teachers have it easy : the big sacrifices and small salaries of our America's teachers

Since Its Initial Publication And Multiple Reprints In Hardcover In 2005, Teachers Have It Easy Has Attracted The Attention Of Teachers Nationwide, Appearing On The New York Times Extended Bestseller List, C-span, And Npr’s Marketplace, In Addition To Receiving Strong Reviews Nationwide. Now Available For The First Time In Paperback, This Groundbreaking Book Examines How Bad Policy Makes Teachers’ Lives Miserable. Many Teachers Today Must Work Two Or More Jobs To Survive; They Cannot Afford To Buy Homes Or Raise Families. Interweaving Teachers’ Voices From Across The Country With Hard-hitting Facts And Figures, This Book Is A Clear-eyed View Of The Harsh Realities Of Public School Teaching, Without Chicken-soup-for-the-soul Success Stories. With A Look At The Problems Of Recruitment And Retention, The Myths Of Short Workdays And Endless Summer Vacations, The Realities Of The Work Week, And Shocking Examples Of How Society Views America’s Teachers, Teachers Have It Easy Explores The Best Ways To Improve Public Education And Transform Our Schools.

"I won't learn from you" is Herb Kohl's now-classic essay about the phenomenon of "not-learning," or refusing to learn, which takes place when a student's intelligence, dignity, or integrity is compromised by a teacher, an institution, or a larger social mindset. Available in book form for the first time, "I Won't Learn from You" serves here as a starting point for four new, groundbreaking essays by one of the country's leading thinkers on education. "The Tattooed Man: Confessions of a Hopemonger" is about the importance of teaching hope, and is Kohl's first autobiographical effort to discover in his own ghettoized childhood attitudes that let him recognize "not-learning" when he saw it among his students decades later. "Creative Maladjustment and the Struggle for Public Education" is inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s call for creative maladjustment to an unjust society, and deals with the ways in which one can lead a positive life and learn new ways of maintaining opposition and resistance. "Excellence, Equality, and Equity" explores the relationship between these three crucial - and often confused - concepts. "Uncommon Differences" is about the way in which notions such as political correctness have been used to distract us from the central concerns of public education, including educating the poor, developing cultural diversity within the schools, and undoing the stigmatization of students who do not conform. It is about what public education in America can become. Written in Kohl's hallmark conversational style and employing the case examples that make his writing so compelling, these essays are at the forefront of current thinking on urban education.

Publishers Weekly

Despite the social and economic despair that pervades many U.S. public schools, meaningful learning and teaching are nevertheless possible, declares famed educator Kohl. To overcome the ``massive rejection of schooling by students from poor and oppressed communities,'' Kohl ( 36 Chil dren ), in these five inspirational, optimistic essays, outlines teaching strategies designed to unlock students' energy, intelligence and drive by encouraging them to envision ways to improve their world. He believes that both teachers and students should cultivate ``creative maladjustment,'' channeling personal discontent into moral or political action. Kohl defends multiculturalist curricula as central to the struggle for fairness. Turning to higher education, he argues that issues of academic freedom and ``political correctness'' are used by neoconservatives to mask their desire to control ideas in the university and to push out ethnic and women's studies. (Apr.)

Zero tolerance began as a prohibition against guns, but it has quickly expanded into a frenzy of punishment and tougher disciplinary measures in American schools. Ironically -- as this timely collection makes clear -- recent research indicates that as schools adopt more zero tolerance policies they in fact become less safe, in part because the first casualties of these measures are the central, critical relationships between teacher and student and between school and community.

Zero Tolerance assembles prominent educators and intellectuals along with students and community activists to show that the vast majority of students expelled from schools under new disciplinary measures are sent home for non-violent violations; that the rush to judge and punish disproportionately affects black and Latino children; and that the new disciplinary ethos is eroding constitutional protections of privacy, free speech, and due process. Sure to become the focus of controversy, this book presents a passionate, multifaceted argument against the militarization of our schools.

Library Journal

In the wake of recent school shootings, zero-tolerance policies have sprung up across the nation in an effort to curb the violence supposedly running rampant in American educational institutions. But are such policies working, or are they causing more harm than good? And is school violence really on the increase, or is this merely the public's perception, fueled by increased media coverage? This collection of 20 essays-compiled by a professor of education, a high school teacher, and a clinical professor-examines the use of zero-tolerance policies across America, explaining the reasoning behind their creation, analyzing their effectiveness, and suggesting alternatives. While contributors, who include Rev. Jesse L. Jackson and Michelle Fine, share similar views (e.g., kicking youths out of school increases their likelihood of criminal behavior, racial profiling appears connected to zero-tolerance policies, and public perception of school violence does not correspond with statistics), each puts his or her own twist on the subject. The result is a quality collection that should find its way into every public and academic library.-Terry Christner, Hutchinson P.L., KS

This book presents the views of educators, intellectuals, students, and community activists to show that most students expelled from schools under new disciplinary measures are sent home for nonviolent violations; that the rush to judge and punish disproportionately affects black and Hispanic students; and that the new disciplinary ethos is eroding constitutional protections of privacy, free speech, and due process. The papers are "Introduction: Resisting Zero Tolerance" (William Ayers, Rick Ayers, and Bernadine Dohrn); "Ground Zero" (Gregory Michie); "Two Punches, Expelled for Life" (Rick Ayers); "Arturo's Case" (Steven Drizin); "From the Jail Yard to the School Yard" (Tony DeMarco); "Racial Profiling at School: The Politics of Race and Discipline at Berkeley High" (A. A. Akom);"Decatur: A Story of Intolerance" (Valerie Johnson); "America Still Eats Her Young" (Gloria Ladson-Billings); "'Look Out Kid/It's Something You Did': Zero Tolerance for Children" (Bernardine Dohrn); "How Distorted Coverage of Juvenile Crime Affects Public Policy" (Vincent Schiraldi and Jason Ziedenberg); "Zero Tolerance as Mandatory Sentencing" (Robert Schwartz and Len Rieser); "Education, Delinquency, and Incarceration" (James Bell); "Sexual Harassment Meets Zero Tolerance: Life in K-12 Schools" (Nan Stein); "Sticks and Stones: The Jailing of Mentally Ill Kids" (Carl Ginsburg and Helen Demeranville); "Zero Tolerance: A Basic Racial Report Card" (Rebecca Gordon, Libero Della Piana, and Terry Keleher); "When Is Disproportionality Discrimination? The Overrepresentation of Black Students in School Suspension" (Russell Skiba); "The ABCs of School Discipline: Lessons from Miami-Dade County" (Judith A. Browne); "Finding Safety Where We Least Expect It: The Role of Social Capital in Preventing School Violence" (Pedro A. Noguera); "Turning to Each Other, Not on Each Other: How School Communities Prevent Racial Bias in School Discipline" (Susan Sandler); "The Role of Law in Policing Abusive Disciplinary Practices: Why School Discipline Is a Civil Rights Issue" (Daniel J. Losen and Christopher Edley, Jr.); and "Zero Tolerance: Reflections on a Failed Policy That Won't Die" (Michelle Fine and Kersha Smith). (SM) Introduction: resisting zero tolerance -- William Ayers, -- Rick Ayers, -- Bernardine Dohrn Ground zero -- Gregory Michie Two punches, expelled for life -- Rick Ayers Arturo's case -- Steven Drizin From the jail yard to the school yard -- Tony DeMarco Racial profiling at school : the politics of race and discipline at Berkeley High -- A.A. Akom Decatur : a story of intolerance -- Valerie Johnson America still eats her young -- Gloria Ladson-Billings "Look out kid, it's something you did" : zero tolerance for children -- Bernardine Dohrn How distorted coverage of juvenile crime affects public policy -- Vincent Schiraldi, -- Jason Ziedenberg Zero tolerance as mandatory sentencing -- Robert Schwartz, -- Len Rieser Education, deliquency, and incarceration -- James Bell Sexual harassment meets zero tolerance : life in K-12 schools -- Nan Stein Sticks and stones : the jailing of mentally ill kids -- Carl Ginsburg, -- Helen Demeranville Zero tolerance : a basic racial report card -- Rebecca Gordon, -- Libero Della Piana, -- Terry Keleher When is disproportionality discrimination? : the overrepresentation of black students in school suspension -- Russell Skiba -- The ABCs of school discipline : lessons from Miami-Dade County -- Judith A. Browne Finding safety where we least expect it : the role of social capital in preventing school violence -- Pedro A. Noguera Turning to each other, not on each other : how school communities prevent racial bias in school discipline -- Susan Sandler -- The role of law in policing abusive disciplinary practices : why school discipline is a civil rights issue -- Daniel J. Losen, -- Christopher Edley, Jr. Zero tolerance : reflections on a failed policy that won't die-- Michelle Fine,-- Kersha Smith. A handbook for parents, students, educators, and citizens: a clear-eyed collection that takes aim at the replacement of teaching with punishment in America's schools. "Zero tolerance" began as a prohibition against guns, but it has quickly expanded into a frenzy of punishment and tougher disciplinary measures in American schools. Ironically, as this timely collection makes clear, recent research indicates that as schools adopt more zero tolerance policies they in fact become less safe, in part because the first casualties of these measures are the central, critical relationships between teacher and student and between school and community. Zero Tolerance assembles prominent educators and intellectuals, including the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Michelle Fine, and Patricia Williams, along with teachers, students, and community activists, to show that the vast majority of students expelled from schools under new disciplinary measures are sent home for nonviolent violations; that the rush to judge and punish disproportionately affects black and Latino children; and that the new disciplinary ethos is eroding constitutional protections of privacy, free speech, and due process. Sure to become the focus of controversy, Zero Tolerance presents a passionate, multifaceted argument against the militarization of our schools. Topics include: Media and anti-youth policies Race, civil rights, and school discipline Student writing on zero tolerance Community agencies dealing with rehabilitation Zero tolerance and mentally ill students The classic, groundbreaking analysis of the role of race in the classroom and a guide for teaching across difference, from the MacArthur Award–winning educator“Phenomenal.... [This book] overcomes fear and speaks of truths, truths that otherwise have no voice.” —San Francisco Review of Books In this groundbreaking, radical analysis of contemporary classrooms, MacArthur Award–winning author Lisa Delpit develops the theory that teachers must be effective “cultural transmitters” in the classroom, where prejudice, stereotypes, and assumptions often breed ineffective education. Delpit suggests that many academic problems attributed to children of color are actually the result of miscommunication, as primarily white teachers educate “other people's children” and perpetuate the imbalanced power dynamics that plague our system. Now a classic of educational thought and a must-read for teachers, administrators, and parents striving to improve the quality of America's education system, Other People's Children has sold over 150,000 copies since its original publication. Winner of an American Educational Studies Association Critics'Choice Award and Choice magazine's Outstanding Academic Book Award, this anniversary edition features a new introduction by Delpit as well as important framing essays by Herbert Kohl and Charles Payne. An updated edition of the classic revolutionary analysis of the role of race in the classroom.

Winner of an American Educational Studies Association Critics' Choice Award and Choice Magazine's Outstanding Academic book award, and voted one of Teacher Magazine's "great books," Other People's Children has sold over 150,000 copies since its original hardcover publication. This anniversary edition features a new introduction by Delpit as well as new framing essays by Herbert Kohl and Charles Payne.

In a radical analysis of contemporary classrooms, MacArthur Award-winning author Lisa Delpit develops ideas about ways teachers can be better "cultural transmitters" in the classroom, where prejudice, stereotypes, and cultural assumptions breed ineffective education. Delpit suggests that many academic problems attributed to children of color are actually the result of miscommunication, as primarily white teachers and "other people's children" struggle with the imbalance of power and the dynamics plaguing our system.

A new classic among educators, Other People's Children is a must-read for teachers, administrators, and parents striving to improve the quality of America's education system.

The New Press's Abridged Teaching Edition of A People's History of the United States has made Howard Zinn's original text available specifically for classroom use. With exercises and teaching materials to accompany each chapter, this edition spans American Beginnings, Reconstruction, the Civil War and through to the present, with new chapters on the Clinton Presidency, the 2000 elections, and the "War on Terrorism."

Eric Foner

Professor Zinn writes with an enthusiasm rarely encountered in the leaden prose of academic history, and his text is studded with telling quotations from labor leaders, war resisters and fugitive slaves. There are vivid descriptions of events that are usually ignored, such as the great railroad strike of 1877 and the brutal suppression to the Philippine independence movement at the turn of this century. Professor Zinn's chapter on Vietnam—bringing to life once again the free-fire zones, secret bombings, massacres and cover-ups—should be required reading for a new generation of students now facing conscription. —New York Times Book Review

Winner of an American Educational Studies Association Critics Choice Award and Choice Magazines Outstanding Academic Book Award, and voted one of Teacher Magazines great books, Other Peoples Children has sold over 150,000 copies since its original hardcover publication. This anniversary paperback edition features a new introduction by Delpit as well as new framing essays by Herbert Kohl and Charles Payne. In a radical analysis of contemporary classrooms, MacArthur Awardwinning author Lisa Delpit develops ideas about ways teachers can be better cultural transmitters in the classroom, where prejudice, stereotypes, and cultural assumptions breed ineffective education. Delpit suggests that many academic problems attributed to children of color are actually the result of miscommunication, as primarily white teachers and other peoples children struggle with the imbalance of power and the dynamics plaguing our system. A new classic among educators, Other Peoples Children is a must-read for teachers, administrators, and parents striving to improve the quality of Americas education system. Since its initial publication in hardcover in 2003, Fires in the Bathroom has been through multiple printings and received the attention of teachers across the country. Now in paperback, Kathleen Cushman's groundbreaking book offers original insights into teaching teenagers in today's hard-pressed urban high schools from the point of view of the students themselves. It speaks to both new and established teachers, giving them firsthand information about who their students are and what they need to succeed. Students from across the country contributed perceptive and pragmatic answers to questions of how teachers can transcend the barriers of adolescent identity and culture to reach the diverse student body in today's urban schools. With the fresh and often surprising perspectives of youth, they tackle tough issues such as increasing engagement and motivation, teaching difficult academic material, reaching English-language learners, and creating a classroom culture where respect and success go hand in hand. A “fascinating” look at what students in Russia, France, Iran, and other nations are taught about America (The New York Times Book Review). This “timely and important” book (History News Network) gives us a glimpse into classrooms across the globe, where opinions about the United States are first formed. History Lessons includes selections from textbooks and teaching materials used in Russia, France, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Canada, and others, covering such events as the American Revolution, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Iran hostage crisis, and the Korean War—providing some alternative viewpoints on the history of the United States from the time of the Viking explorers to the post-Cold War era. By juxtaposing starkly contrasting versions of the historical events we take for granted, History Lessons affords us a sometimes hilarious, often sobering look at what the world thinks about America's past. “A brilliant idea.” —Foreign Affairs Many teachers today must work two or more jobs to survive; they can't afford to buy homes or raise families. Why are they paid so poorly? How is this related to student achievement? And how can we find ways to treat them like the professionals they are? This book examines how bad policy intersects with teachers' lives. Interweaving teachers' voices with facts and figures, the book is a clear-eyed view of the harsh realities of public school teaching, without any chicken-soup success stories. With a look at the problems of recruitment and retention, the myths of short workdays and endless summer vacations, the realities of the work week, and shocking examples of how society views America's teachers, it explores why salary reform may be the best way to improve public education and examines how innovative compensation plans can transform schools.--From publisher description Draws From Interviews With Forty Teenagers In New York City, The San Francisco Bay Area, And Providence, Rhode Island, To Show What High School Students, Including Esl Learners, Need From Their Teachers; Discusses Familiarity, Respect, Trust, Motivation, High Expectations, Discipline, And Other Related Topics. Knowing Students Well -- Respect, Liking, Trust, And Fairness -- Classroom Behavior -- Creating A Culture Of Success -- Teaching To The Individual, Working For The Group -- Motivation And Boredom -- Teaching Difficult Academic Material -- Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English -- When Things Go Wrong -- Going Beyond The Classroom. Kathleen Cushman And The Students Of What Kids Can Do ; With An Introduction By Lisa Delpit. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 191-192) And Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Readers accustomed to a single view of American history will find British and Canadian, and American Indian views of the War of 1812; Cuban and Russian views of the Cuban Missile Crisis; and Iranian views of the Iranian hostage crisis, among various other enlightening examples." "Many of the textbooks included in History Lessons are the only authorized source of information about American history in their respective countries. They are made accessible to American readers for the first time, and several - including excerpts from the only textbook known to have been smuggled out of North Korea - are highly controversial." "History Lessons offers a challenge to the biases we bring to our understanding of American history - and a sobering glimpse into how the rest of the world views the past we take for granted."--BOOK JACKET.

the Widely Contrasting Approaches To U.s. History That Can Be Found In The Textbooks Of Other Nations.

the New York Times - Daniel Swift

these May Be Conspiracy Theories, Or They May Hold Some Traces Of Truth. But Either Way, Neither history Lessons nor The United States Can Afford To Dismiss The Ways The Rest Of The World Sees America, And How America Is Represented To Young People In Schools.

This sequel to the author's popular Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students now brings the insights of students to the toughest job in schools-the principal. Whether it's about electives or dress codes, equity or school security, teenagers want to help make high school a place they care about and succeed in. Here they offer keys to involving them that can turn around a school's culture. "An updated edition of the award-winning analysis of the role of race in the classroom features a new author introduction and framing essays by Herbert Kohl and Charles Payne, in an account that shares ideas about how teachers can function as cultural transmitters in contemporary schools and communicate more effectively to overcome race-related academic challenges."-- Provided by publisher Among the conclusions reached by this collection of essays is that zero tolerance policies make schools less safe by eroding the relationship between students and teachers ; that most students expelled are done so for non-violent offenses ; and that the punishment disproportionately affects black and Latino students Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, *A People's History of the United States* is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers. A social and cultural history of the United States, beginning with the arrival of Columbus in the Bahamas in 1492 and continuing through the 2000 presidential election and war on terrorism, focusing on the human cost of the decisions made by politicians and businessmen, and including a bibliography and index An essay on refusing to learn. Kohl draws on an idea of Martin Luther King Jr's, and talks about the need for "creative maladjustment" in the classroom and anywhere else that students' intelligence, dignity or integrity are compromised by a teacher, an institution or other social mindset. Presenting an analysis of contemporary classrooms, this book develops ideas about the ways teachers can be better cultural transmitters in the classroom. It suggests that many academic problems attributed to children of colour are actually the result of miscommunication. A glimpse into how the world views American history is offered in a study that presents a wide range of conflicting takes on events from textbooks in which many are the only authorized source of American history in their respective countries.--Résumé de l'éditeur Presents the history of the United States from the point of view of those who were exploited in the name of American progress.