5-4-3-2-1, chapters 11&12

In the last two chapters of the book I think that Kozol is trying to get the audience to understand that with chance there is still hope. In chapter eleven he tries to explain the problems sen in the way in which the government has handled the education crisis in America in the past 28 years. He also focuses on the fact that funding is crucial for the progress of the schools, and there will be no equality without equal funding. Chapter twelve consists of accounts of Kozol's observations in inner city school. He gives the reader hope in showing that there are teachers that still do there best teaching their students even with the limited resources they are given. 

4 Key Passages:

1. pg. 270 "He's a beautiful child... direction."

2. pg. 274 " Its a hard thing... disappointed still."

3.pg. 292 "Mr. Bedrock comes back... his company."

4. pg.316 "A segregated education... reject defeat."

3 Key terms

1. No Child Left Behind- an act designed to create skills test for each grade in order to ensure that children are progressing and the schools are teaching correct information for each grade. 

2. "standards- based reform"- educational reform based on measurements of student performance. 

3. Brown v. Board of Education- Supreme Court decision in 1954 that declared segregation of public schools unconstitutional.

2 connections

1. The first connection that I made was to the NCLB act. Since I have been in the education program at Baylor the act has become more familiar, along with the idea of standardized tests. 

2. The second connection that I made was to the efforts made by some of the teachers, like the ones in chapter 12. I knew a teacher in Panama that was in the same position, limited funding and lots of work. She did her best to design activities and lessons that the students find interesting enough to distract them from the terrible condition that their school is in. 

1 question

What are others ways in which the education in inner city schools can be improved besides NCLB and additional funding?