That's a wrap!

What an incredibly eye-opening book!  I was aware of many of the problems addressed already, but really looking at issues that so many of our students face and seeing how intertwined and detrimental the problems are really grabbed me.  Hearing the personal struggles was really heartbreaking.  I wonder what path Miguel Fernandez ended up on, and what path his future children will end up on.  When addressing No Child Left Behind, a quote that really stood out to me was “Will our society truly be better off if thousands of students are denied high school diplomas, unable to go to college and significantly less able to find decent jobs?” (p. 178).  Of course- the answer to this is NO!  When Noguera argued that the basic needs of children must be met before they are “left behind” under NCLB, I thought obviously basic need must be addressed first!  It is shocking that this is not always the case, and that the weight of test scores can sometimes be considered heavier than that of a child’s well-being.  The costs of these tests are astronomical as well, and it makes we wonder what could be accomplished with those funds if they were put towards the education and basic needs of the students. 

While reading this book, I stumbled upon this blog outlining a Chicago Public School principal’s experience at a budget meeting and I immediately thought of this book: http://troylaraviere.net/2015/07/16/adding- insult-to-injury-a-look-inside-a-cps-principals-budget-meeting/.  In the blog, Principal Troy LaRaviere discusses how CPS officals gave a one-hour presentation citing things that they were “forced” to cut and refused to address any questions from the principals.  Principal LaRaviere asked, “Do you plan to address the purchase of $10 million dollars in office furniture for Central Offices after you closed 50 schools?  … $20 million expenditure on SUPES academy that is now under federal investigation… $17 million in pre-k money spent on unnecessary interest payments to three Rahm Emanuel campaign contributors… the diversion of $55 million from public schools and parks on a private hotel and stadium… the $100 to $200 million in financial penalties due to the toxic financial deals of board president David Vitale… the $340 million spent on two custodial management firms that have failed to keep our schools clean? Do you plan to address how CPS repeatedly diverted money away from paying its debts toward wasteful spending like this?”  He was called a loud-mouthed principal and was asked to be quite, no questions were allowed.  The Trouble With Black Boys shows us that as teachers, principals, advocates for children, etc, we MUST ask these questions! 

Many of the students discussed specifically in the book were in high school, so much older than the Pre-K students that I teach.  Pre-K or Kindergarten, however, is where many students get their start in the public school system.  Early childhood educators have the responsibility to set these students up for success.  As Noguera ends the book, he asks us to consider relationships with parents.  He explains, “when parents are respected as partners in the education of their children and when they are provided with organizational support that enables them to channel their interest to the benefit of the school, the entire culture of the organization can be transformed” (p. 250).  Starting positive relationships early on with parents is a responsibility that I am excited to put more focus on as a teacher.  Several times throughout the year, I ask parents to come in to read a story, share a family tradition, etc.  I am excited to create ways to better use parents as a resource in the classroom.  Something that I have not done in the past but plan to create is a Culture Questionnaire, in which parents can tell me more about their family’s culture, and I can use this information to create engaging lesson plans that the class can relate to. 

All in all, I found Pedro Noguera’s book to be informative, shocking, but also inspiring.  This has been my first class towards my ELL certification and I truly felt like I learned a lot!  I especially enjoyed hearing your perspectives, both as from your days as students and now as educators.  I find it very interesting taking a course with such a variety of educators, college, high school, grade school, administration, etc. and love to think about how we all work together for a student’s educational career.  I wish everyone the best and hope to ‘see’ you in more courses.

-Ilana