I read it back in Nov. 2006 & promptly changed the way I was teaching composition. For several years I made it required reading in my Intro to Comp class. I discussed it semester after semester, class after class, and never ceased to be amazed. That says something about Paul Tough, the author. I can't imagine too many other articles I've read holding up after dozens of discussions with college freshman. But this one got them, or many of them, every single time, and continued to excite me with each reading.
It's a brilliant piece - thought provoking, sad, somewhat hopeful, compelling, gripping - and it's all about the race/class gaps in American education, and 'what it takes' to fulfill the No Child Left Behind law.
Imagine my delight when I saw that Paul Tough's new book - expanding on the ideas of the article and profiling the Harlem Children's Zone - was on the new release shelf in the library. This is one of the books I look forward to reading this weekend!
1 comment:
I was struck by the number of encouragements vs. discouragements children of disparate income parents heard. We do tend to go on to Oliver about how charming he is ...
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