Small Victories: The Real World of a Teacher, Her Students, and Their High School [Paperback]

Samuel G. Freedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 1991

Small Victories is Samuel Freedman's remarkable story of life on the front lines in the sort of high school that seems like a disaster with walls--old, urban, overcrowded, and overwhelmingly minority. Seaward Park High School, on Manhattan's Lower East Side, has been ranked among the worst 10 percent of high schools in the state--yet 92 percent of its graduates go on to higher education. The reason is dedicated teachers, one of whom, English instructor Jessica Siegel, is the subject of Freedman's unforgettably dramatic humanization of the education crisis. Following Siegel through the 1987-88 academic year, Freedman not only saw a master at work but learned from the inside just how a school functions against impossible odds. Small Victories alternates Jessica's experiences with those of others at Seaward Park, and as we cone to know intimately a number of the astonishing students and staff, Small Victories reveals itself as a book that has the power to change the way we see our world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1988, Jessica Siegel taught a predominantly Hispanic, black and Asian class at Seward Park High School on Manhattan's lower East Side. Here, Freedman follows Siegel through "small victories" such as encouraging college aspirations, and one primary defeat: she left the job at the school year's end. PW called this an "unsentimental yet moving portrait."
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This engrossing narrative of one year in the life of New York City's Seward Park High School will bring "bravos" from all readers. Freedman's approach in depicting the daily activities of one teacher--Jessica Siegel--and the students, faculty, parents, and administrators who touch her life is forthright and honest. Siegel's self-doubts, triumphs, and unfailing desire to lead her students to help themselves out of a life of poverty is all the more inspiring because, even though the victories may be small, she returns each year to meet the same situations, with new faces. While Tracy Kidder's Among Schoolchildren ( LJ 8/89) depicts similar situations with elementary school children, Small Victories is a more powerful, damning indictment of the intellectual, racial, and educational prejudice wrought by the "system." Perhaps Freedman's title contains one answer to educational reform--"small victories" won by dedicated teachers, with the emphasis on "dedicated." A memorable book.
- Annelle R. Huggins, Memphis State Univ. Lib.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1st HarperPerennial Edition, 1991 edition (May 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060920874
• ISBN-13: 978-0060920876
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stark Reality, June 2, 2000

By 

"amandaagnes" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Small Victories: The Real World of a Teacher, Her Students, and Their High School (Paperback)

I found Small Victories to be a text of incredible value for the even-handed way that it lays out the profound problems facing the New York City Public School system-- from the exhaustingly ponderous beaurocracy and latent racism of the Board of Education to the extreme poverty and violence that surrounds the students all of the time. Freedman cuts back and forth between sections of personal narrative and the political and social history of the Lower East Side so that you really gain an understanding of the way that many of these problem has been created and maintained by the education system over such a long period of time that overcoming them may be quite difficult. The story of Jessica Siegal, the teacher profiled in the book, is one of amazing courage and dedication that sinks into a depressing story of insurmountable obstacles such as uninterested politicians, bitter, lazy educators, and rampant poverty. The small victories that she achieves are incredible and important but are so far from remedying the very real problems of the school system, which short changes so many thousands of students in so many ways, that it is hard not to be left with a sinking feeling that the large failures of the system that surrounds Siegal just might swallow up the pride and drive off the teachers like her who perservere. Though this may be incredibly depressing it is a story that needs to be told and I applaud Freedman for tackling such a difficult topic with such a keen eye and unrelenting dedication to the truth.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, gripping, affecting and important book, December 31, 1999

By 

NY musician (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Small Victories: The Real World of a Teacher, Her Students, and Their High School (Paperback)

I was very moved by this book which intertwined the stories of the lives of a dedicated teacher and her lower East Side students, many of whom faced giant obstacles to their academic success. I particularly appreciated the author's smooth narrative style, which contributed to his effectiveness in painting real lives. I was also grateful for the complete absence of a "preachy" tone, or a self-righteous attitude sometimes found in books on this subject.

With the many stories in today's newspapers about NYC firing yet another school chancellor, students failing standardized tests, etc, this story, with its detailed descriptions of daily life in the classroom of a typical NY high school, and the colorful personalities of the school administrators, faculty, and the students they seek to educate, made a real impression. Not just statistics or hysterical arguments, but real lives, passions, and burnouts.

Small Victories was very helpful to me to read in my effort to develop a more detailed understanding of the public education system and the problems facing young people today. An excellent story, cooly told with a powerful shape and impact.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It depicts the true struggle of life in poor area of NY city, December 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Small Victories: The Real World of a Teacher, Her Students, and Their High School (Paperback)

This moving and engaging book is the written form of the movie STAND AND DELIVER!

Well, not exactly, its a different plot, a different set of students, but its theme is similar. It depicts dedicated, caring, and truly amazing teachers at their very best bringing hope to students who have came from a neglected, hopeless, situation. The talented journalist Samuel Freedman has decided to tell us what life is for the students of Seward Park High School in NY city. During the 87-88 school year he literally trails around English intstructour Jessica Seigel and from his observations hes has compiled Small Victories. These are students who have come from families to poor pay rent for a house with working sewage, often abused at home, many immigrants, homeless and being shuttled between boarding homes and shelters. And yet, the talented, but moreover dedicated, instucours -- especially Jessica Siegel -- can turn many of these students around and help them see their dreams. How, can, form one of t he lowest 10% schools in US 90 % of graduates go on to higher education colleges? From a school where people come as their last choice, they come here knkowing they are "Built to Fail". Samuel Freedman takes us on spectcular journey thru Seward park high as we get to know the students crowded 30-40 per class, the teachers underpaid and overworked, a poor and underfunded high school, and a marvelous feat. This has been one of the most fascinating books I'v ever read. Indeed, though originally a college assignment, it has truly transformed my view of the "other end" of the world. Those who dont have what we take for granted -- a nice suburban home, money for clothes, heating, and food. How then can they be expected to even THINK about school... while the drug dealers drive "golden plated limosines"...? The wrong path is very tempting, the red carpet is lies for them. This book has taught me about what is th miserable reality for many inner city families, an imporant lesson in years of class work wont tell me. Indeed this book has a major significance for american education system. How can students like this strive so hard to get into some college while in "our world" those who have all dont care to? This book taught great lesson for american education, improtant lesson for life -- however in a different manner. It is very enjoyable to read .. not like a statistical study on american education... almost like a novell. Yet it shudders you to think ALL THIS IS TRUE... THIS IS (unfortunately ) REALITY. It is after all our world we should know about it.

Review written by Sonya Dave', Foothill JUnior College, Los Altos Hills, CA :-) Hope you like Small Victories the same.