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It is a good description of what I might call Yankee racism, and of the Civil Rights movement at that very time, which also means some observations have not panned out. The replacement of older racist teachers the henchmen of the story did not improve education. They were never the root cause, and Kozol knows this. Indeed, it could be argued the reformers who did blame teachers had a shallow and neo-liber There is much to admire here. Indeed, it could be argued the reformers who did blame teachers had a shallow and neo-liberal understanding of Kozol.

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Sadly, the current mantra in education is to hold the teacher accountable to bizarre degrees. Nor of course did busing work. It instead created a backlash that led to further segregation, both on racial and economic lines. That Kozol did not see this is unsurprising; his empathy really only goes in one direction. My main issue is with Kozol himself. This is a memoir, and Kozol, while hard on himself for not saying more, portrays a world where he is the truthful hero, supported by black parents, and in opposition to evil closet racists.

I started to feel bad about the Reading Teacher, as the book took such a negative and pedantic view of her that I started to pity her far more than Kozol. The teachers are in no way sympathetic, and Kozol fails to understand why they do what they do. It is all just racism and incompetence, and for that, oddly dehumanizing of teachers carrying out their duties in a flawed system.

One does start to see parallels with the contemporary identity left, where unlimited sympathy and understanding is reserved for the "oppressed" but nothing is granted to supposed "oppressors. He is also very ahead of his time, defending black culture, language, actions, and history without restraint. The other issue is that the school system acts upon the black students, robbing them of agency unless they act out, which Kozol approves of, seeing it I presume as a budding civil rights activism.

The black parents are all with him, and the portrayal of black students and parents approaches caricature at times. There are some moments of humanity with the black students such as Edward and here the prose is at its best. Still, the portrayal is limited by the politics of the book, which is meant to create outrage and therefore actions.

Sadly, Kozol's self-righteousness is still a feature of the left, a feature the left fails to understand as a weakness, not a asset. Teachers are still interested in pushing their agenda.

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In it was a kind of racism masked as concern and discipline; today it is progressive politics, Jesus in some schools at least , or more likely simply teaching you how to take a multiple choice test at the end. Standardized testing is the admittance that we have failed. Much worse, the school system continues to fail its students, and in ways still much as Kozol, describes.

I briefly worked in a black middle school; very little has changed from what I could see. In that way, this was a demoralizing read, and one I would recommend despite its flaws. I will admit, it helps that Kozol is a fan of Yeats and Hughes, and I really sympathized with his efforts to bring more interesting material to the children.

Feb 03, John rated it really liked it Shelves: Death At an Early Age was a hard book to finish, but even harder to put down. Substitute teacher Jonathan Kozol left his mark on literature by publishing this, his memoir of a year in Boston Public Schools. I'd never even heard of it until I sought out the African American lit section of a local bookstore. So I picked it up at a whim, thinking it would offer some novel insight into my own profession and the Civil Rights era. I came to find Death At an Early Age to be more alarming than enlightenin Death At an Early Age was a hard book to finish, but even harder to put down.

I came to find Death At an Early Age to be more alarming than enlightening. Reading about the deplorable conditions of Kozol's school, his tyrannical coworkers, and the sadistic treatment of black students was unsettling at best, and jaw-dropping at its lowest points. Although the book recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, I still felt aftershocks of the false 'equality' of urban school districts that echo through our society today. It's an obscene mark on our country's storied history of civil rights that experiences like Kozol's were likely not unique for young teachers in so-called integrated educational settings.

One of the most troubling aspects of this book is that it takes place entirely in Boston, a city I tend to think of as integral to the United States' image as a free and just nation. One can't help but wonder, if this is how segregated New England had become, what was happening in the rest of the country?

This book is as emotional as it is educational, and it's hard not to be moved by the realities that were commonplace for black students in the Boston school children. Beating, flaccid expectations and high teacher turnover are a way of life for the students in Kozol's school. Although he runs the risk of making himself out as a martyr at the center of this turning point for civil, Kozol does so as a tribulation to telling a story worth hearing.

While reading his memoir, I often found myself wondering what the other teachers and even students in his school would have to say about the author, but I have no reason to think Mr. Kozol exaggerated the harsh realities of a young educator. The story does not have a happy ending, but the teacher's perseverance to save his students was not spent in vain.

This book is testament enough to that. If you have an urge to peel back a still-healing wound on our public education system, don't overlook this degradation trip. Although it was difficult for me at points--I set it down several times from feeling depressed--Death At an Early Age still sounds an irresistible alarm to the injustices of our society, carried out in the name of 'protecting' our most innocent members. Jun 29, Kayla rated it it was amazing. As desegregation became the norm, so too did de facto segregation and inequality.


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Kozol respectfully and thoughtfully describes the situation on the ground as he saw and experienced it: Truthfully, I am both disappointed and thankful that it has taken me this long to finish "Death at an Early Age. Kozol is an expert in the field of education reform and as such, I found this book informative, thought-provoking, and sad.

I am thankful I waited until now to read it, however, because I fear that had I read it any sooner I would not have appreciated it in the same way.


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  5. It made me really, really sad; it made me mad; it made me disappointed in the progress or lack there of ; most importantly, it inspired me to continue working towards equity and equality in education. I greatly appreciate the manner in which Kozol allows the reader to work through his personal struggles and moral dilemmas right along side him. He is a real human being having a real human experience which shines through brightly in this book in a thoughtful, honest way.

    Jan 08, Joey rated it really liked it. I read this book as part of my teacher-training curriculum when pursuing my bachelor's degree in education. It relates the story of a young teacher's first year in the educational system in the late 60s in the inner-city schools of Boston, and as such it focuses a great deal on racial discrimination, bigotry from teachers, administrators, and politicians, and the recalcitrance with which the same individuals rebelled against desegregation.

    The book details the horrific conditions that poor black I read this book as part of my teacher-training curriculum when pursuing my bachelor's degree in education. It is as if the school system anticipates and hopes for the loss of a huge percentage of its students, as they simply do not even have room in terms of desks and other supplies for the number of children that actually attend classes. This is a very depressing book, but it is a great read.

    If anyone thinks that we have graduated beyond the racial prejudice, inequity, and injustice shown in this book, they should also read Kozol's later work, Savage Inequalities written three decades after this one ; it points out that desegregation really didn't take place at all, except that it allowed a little bit of admixture between poor blacks and poor whites; rich whites are always segregated, always given better opportunities, and as such, have much more chance at success than those from less well-equipped schools.

    Nov 18, Luke Jones rated it it was amazing. Few books I've read were this shocking, angering and horrifying. Kozol paints a bleak and tragic portrait of a segregated Boston public school in the mid '60s. It's easy to approach this sort of material with a "that was a long time ago, things have changed" attitude. In this case, simply put, not much has changed.

    The inner city schools today are still, in many ways, perpetuating Few books I've read were this shocking, angering and horrifying.

    Blame and hate prevent understanding.

    The inner city schools today are still, in many ways, perpetuating a failed educational model. The common argument today, which Kozol alludes to, as it was the same argument made in the '60s, is that the root problem of academic failure rests with the home life of inner city students. That Kozol dismisses this notion completely, I have to take issue with.

    But I would argue that the problem does not lay solely with parenting and that not all inner city parents are neglectful bums or abusive tyrants. The effect of schooling on children is an issue worth serious consideration and exploration. Needless to say, I highly recommend this bold and unflinching survey of the inner city school. It should be required reading for anyone who takes their citizenship and civic responsibility seriously.

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    Jun 03, Maureen rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: I read this book when it first came out. I was appalled by the conditions he described in the Boston public school in which he taught, but not surprised, The poor children have always been denied decent funding for education.

    In a state of the State address to the Georgia legislature, then-governor Roy Barnes described the Hope Scholarship program as, "my anti-crime bill. K I read this book when it first came out. Kozol speaks to these issues loudly and clearly. Until the economically disadvantaged minority children in this country receive the same benefits from the education tax dollar as the upper and upper-middle class children, this book will remain a relevant, heart-breaking volume of truth. Nov 16, Sammy rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: I read this when I was pretty depressed about the nature of society.

    This, along with pedagogy of the oppressed, made me think that any kind of progressive movement must be bottom up. It must be support by the people it is "helping. I remember waking up in my dorm room 3am, pacing around the halls of my residence, wondering about what kind of world I lived in. Feb 03, Jennie rated it it was amazing.

    Disturbing in that when people read this they'll think "Oh, but that was in the 60s. This stuff doesn't happen in schools anymore. Huge disparities and hugely depressing, but important for people to read. Rather than raiding their whole piggy bank, a small portion of cash could be set aside for a child to spend how they like, which could help them learn how to set a budget and stick to it. Nearly a third 31 per cent of parents say they tend to influence what their child buys with their pocket money, and 24 per cent encourage them to save for a larger purchase. But nearly four-fifths 79 per cent of parents agreed that if children can engage with money from a young age, it would help them learn and appreciate its value.

    Mark Oakes, head of communications at the FSCS, which protects savers if their bank or building society goes bust, says: They aren't going to get it right every time, but children need to be given the opportunity to make their own mistakes and learn for themselves. See a different horoscope: Some of these contribute to our sense of safety; others do not. Today people from all over the world depend on each other for survival, so the old ways of individual tribes, as well as those of modern groups, no longer make us safe. An ancient tribe, or clan, provided its members with food, clothing, shelter and protection.

    We survive physically today when we have enough to eat and drink, clothes to keep us warm and a place to live. Members had to attach themselves mentally and emotionally to the group and its ways, and loyally follow the tribe.

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    This made the group more powerful — better able to take care of its members. Today, we survive psychologically when we feel safe and protected by groups we choose to belong to. The Moon Tribe also existed in the same territory. They all needed food, clothing and shelter. As a result, each tribe began to see every other tribe as a threat to its physical survival.

    The Rock Tribe noticed that the Moon Tribe danced to the moon instead of the sun, and believed this was wrong. People have continued their old tribal ways through centuries, generation after generation. What would that be like — for all of us to become Peace Ambassadors who help educate others — nationally and internationally?

    The new world would be a place where prejudices, inherited traditions and customs were no longer needed for protection. We would learn to appreciate differences — cultural differences, in such areas as the arts, architecture, food, clothing and language. Cultural variety enhances life and provides pleasure.

    One way is to use our scientific minds. Seems kind of stupid. All over the world, little conflicts go on every day. But do we want to protect ourselves, or do we want to learn? Prejudice is a way of thinking that usually negatively judges what we see. Prejudice is a mechanical difficulty in the brain.