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by: Jonathan Kozol  List Price: $19.95 Amazon.com's Price: $13.57 You Save: $6.38 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 371.1 EAN: 9780307393715 ISBN: 0307393712 Label: Crown Manufacturer: Crown Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 304 Publication Date: August 21, 2007 Publisher: Crown Release Date: August 21, 2007 Studio: Crown Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Product Description: In these affectionate letters to Francesca, a first grade teacher at an inner-city school in Boston, Jonathan Kozol vividly describes his repeated visits to her classroom while, under Francesca’s likably irreverent questioning, he also reveals his own most personal stories of the years that he has spent in public schools. Letters to a Young Teacher reignites a numberof the controversial issues Jonathan has powerfully addressed in recent years: the mania of high-stakes testing that turns many classrooms into test-prep factories where spontaneity and critical intelligence are no longer valued, the invasion of our public schools by predatory private corporations, and the inequalities of urban schools that are once again almost as segregated as they were a century ago. But most of all, these letters are rich with the happiness of teaching children, the curiosity and jubilant excitement children bring into the classroom at an early age, and their ability to overcome their insecurities when they are in the hands of an adoring and hard-working teacher. Average Rating:
 Rating: - A thoughtful gift for a new teacherAt this writing, this book is averaging four stars in terms of reviews, and I think that's about right. As a high school English teacher, I found some sections--especially those regarding standardized testing and how public education does not address the needs of poor children--quite compelling and validating. However, as another reviewer mentioned, I had difficulty with Kozol's tone at times, which seems just a bit condescending and does not match the acceptance and warmth he alleges to share ... Read More Rating: - Enjoyed By TCNJ'S 2008 Urban Teacher AcademyForty-six high school juniors who aspire to become teachers read Letters To A Young Teacher during the 2008 Urban Teacher Academy (UTA) at The College of New Jersey. Our students found many of Jonathan Kozol's insights and experiences very helpful to their understanding of how teachers impact the lives of children. They were inpsired by several heartfelt sentiments and suggestions that Mr. Kozol gave to Francesca, a new teacher confronted by the challenges of the urban classroom. Some of our students ... Read More Rating:  - Tells it like it isAs one who works with teachers and visits inner city school classrooms on a regular basis, I can say that Jonathan Kozol accurately describes the problems in our schools today. He convincingly demonstrates that "No Child Left Behind" not only fails to promote real, sustainable school reform, but actually supports the forces driving schools (and society) back to segregation and inequality not so different from the time before Brown vs. the Board of Education. At the same time, his letters celebrate the ... Read More Rating:  - The Joy of LookingKozol has tapped into the narcissism of modern teachers and their weird regard for themselves. Down at the "Teach for America" farm, the young Ivy Leaguers get the straight talk missing from the likes of Kozol. Teaching is a degraded profession, to be compared to bus driving and custodial work both in pay and in status. In fact, smart administrators now call teachers "education workers," just to take them down a notch or two. They are sick of the uppity types who think their jobs are important. Nobody ... Read More Rating: - Must Read for First Year TeachersJonathan Kozol's Letters to a Young Teacher provides a rare glimpse into the trials and victories faced by a first year teacher in an urban elementary school. Kozol and Francesca have lively dialogue through a series of letters written throughout Francesca's first year as a teacher. Kozol draws on decades of experience to provide hope when Francesca is struggling and cheers her on during times of success. This book is a must read for young teachers venturing into the field of urban education in the ... Read More 
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