Recommended New Title

Injustice

And a companion article on a related topic: "Ill Fares the Land"

From the publisher's web site:

About This Book

Additional resources for Injustice: http://www.policypress.co.uk/injustice_appendix.asp

Few would dispute that we live in an unequal and unjust world, but what causes this inequality to persist? Leading social commentator and academic Danny Dorling claims in this timely book that, as the five social evils identified by Beveridge are gradually being eradicated, they are being replaced by five new tenets of injustice, viz:

• elitism is efficient;
• exclusion is necessary;
• prejudice is natural;
• greed is good; and
• despair is inevitable.

In an informal yet authoritative style, Dorling examines who is most harmed by these injustices and why, and what happens to those who most benefit. Hard-hitting and uncompromising in its call to action, this is essential reading for everyone concerned with social justice.

"His attack on elitism and despair is impressive, his factual evidence undeniable." Rt Hon David Blunkett MP

Scoppe Op-Ed in The State

No Magic Wand

Environment, biology, and teacher quality?

Many debate and examine what aspects of a child's life impacts gaining literacy. . .

This study seems to suggest that genetics is powerful in learning to read but that teacher quality can have a positive impact.

Now, what we really learn is HOW research is reported, and how we fail to question that source of the evidence. . .Just what sort of test decides what "reading" is?

Here is one reply that certainly puts a different spin on things:

Submitted to Science

Taylor et. al. (Science vol 328, April 23) compared identical twins in different classes in grades 1 and 2. The twin in a class that made better gains on a reading test made better gains than the co-twin in the other class. This shows, the researchers claim, that instruction is a stronger force than genetics for learning to read.

The reading test asked children to pronounce texts rapidly and accurately, without necessarily understanding them. Reading is about comprehension, not pronunciation. Prof. Elaine Garan (2001, Phi Delta Kappan 82(7), 500-506) has shown that the kind of reading instruction that is aimed at improving pronunciation without understanding does not help children much on tests in which they have to understand what they read.

Reading is about understanding, not pronouncing. The Taylor et. al. study does not tell us much about reading.

Stephen Krashen

See Krashen's work at his web page; and note this excellent discussion of the reality about the impact of poverty: Remarks of Race to the Top (RTTT)

Baldwin and Ellison: To Teachers

I am struck by Giroux's reference to James Baldwin and my own discovery of a similar message from Ralph Ellison, both in 1963:

A Talk to Teachers, Baldwin

What These Children Are Like, Ellison

Giroux on the Role of Teachers

Excellent new piece form Henry Giroux:

In Defense of Public School Teachers in a Time of Crisis

Poverty and Education event at Furman 8 April 2010

3 April 2010 Op-Ed in The News

Reject misleading rhetoric about public education