Customer Reviews

City Schools and the American Dream: Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education (Multicultural Education Series (New York, N.Y.).)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

City Schools and the American Dream by Pedro Noguera is one of the most excellent books in the field of education. He articulately writes about how we can improve urban schools as well as help the poorest, neediest students. He insists that there are models of successful schools who have common characteristics. He writes about such subjects as the achievement gap, safety in schools and inequality in schools. This is a must read for any educator who wants to know what is really going on in our inner city schools. This is also a good book for anyone interested in the future of our children. Dr. Noguera is right on. What a blessing he is to the world.

Pedro Noguera offers hope and ideas for urban education from his own personal experience working in the Bay area. Definitely recommended.

The book was great. Informative and a definite must for those who want to learn more about the education system in California, and all the problems surrounding it.

dr. noguera takes all the intuitive knowledge teachers, parents and other stakeholders have about what to do for public education, adds a dash of theory, and creates a "recipe" for what needs to be dished out to save our schools. we don't have to wait for superman!

I personally had this book signed by Mr. Noguera after hearing him talk, and found him to be a great speaker, if I had to grade him on being a smart guy, I would give him a 5. However his book honestly wasn't that great. He does a wondeful job of pointing out the problems with many schools, (for once, not blaiming teachers or the kids), but I don't see anything new in his analysis. If you would like a concise view of why many urban schools just aren't that great, then by this book. If you want to read a book describing a new, well thought out idea to change the system and turn the lives of children around, do not buy this book. When I was done reading it, I feel like I could have heard the same thing from listening to the regular complaints of parents and teachers.

Schools are in crisis, even more so since No Child Left Behind. Like Noguera writes, it's not all about poor kids and bad teachers. The problems are systemic and structural, the vestiges of a 100-year-old system of education that wheezes and puffs just to get the school door open. No other industrialized nation struggles with "tradition" and outmoded legislative mandates, or new mandates that exacerbate an already bad situation. Further, education needs to be given back to eduators, and educators should be held totally responsible for outcomes. And our kids deserve the best!

If you liked Noguera's work, I would recommend "The Kids Are The Easy Part - An Insider's Perspective on School Reform" by Ben Baglio. It's written in plain language that's easy to digest.