Summary Of Marita's Stolen By Gladwell

Epstein, K. K. (2006). A different view of urban schools: Civil rights, critical race theory,

Jonathan Kozol’s Fire in the Ashes is an honest depiction of the hardships and triumphs of families in the South Bronx, New York. In this book, Kozol introduces us to several Hispanic and Black families that he originally met in the Mott Haven/Martinique Hotel in the 1980’s and allows us to view their trajectory in the proceeding 25 years. By allowing the reader a look into the lives of these families, he provides us with a realistic depiction of the disadvantages families living in poverty encounter despite interventions from charity organizations and philanthropic donors. Kozol identifies that without “systematic justice and systematic equity in public education” (Kozol, 2013, pg 304) students in these impoverished neighborhoods will continue to lack the same economic opportunities that may potentially lead them out of the welfare system. Kozol emphasizes lack of stable housing, and unequal educational opportunities, as primarily conditions to perpetuating poverty. Despite the challenges that the families endure, Kozol is able to show that they are resilient.

The book, Inequality in the Promised Land: Race, Resources, and Suburban Schooling, tells us about the problems that inner-city students face in schools across America. There is an apparent problem with discrimination towards black and poorer families within some suburban districts. The effect of this is a vicious cycle of limited/ scare resources of educational opportunities for students. Author, Lewis-McCoy examines a suburban area in which a “promised land” of educational opportunities and beneficial resources has failed to live up to it’s name. America’s suburbs are seeing an increase in diverse families, yet there is still a challenge of giving equal and high quality educational opportunities to them.

John Gatto’s “Against School” is a persuasive essay arguing both the ineffectiveness and negative outcomes of today’s public school system. Not only does Gatto provide credibility with his experience as a teacher, but he also presents historical evidence that suggests that the public school system is an outdated structure, originally meant to dumb down students as well as program them to be obedient pawns in society. Fact and authority alone do not supplement his argument. Gatto also uses emotional appeals, such as fear and doubt, to tear down the reader’s trust in the schooling system. Although it may seem to be so, Gatto’s argument is not one sided. He also offers suggestions to make the educational system more efficient at the hands of

     In Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol documents the devastating inequalities in American schools, focusing on public education’s “savage inequalities” between affluent districts and poor districts. From 1988 till 1990, Kozol visited schools in over thirty neighborhoods, including East St. Louis, the Bronx, Chicago, Harlem, Jersey City, and San Antonio. Kozol describes horrifying conditions in these schools. He spends a chapter on each area, and provides a description of the city and a historical basis for the impoverished state of its school. These schools, usually in high crime areas, lack the most basic needs. Kozol creates a scene of rooms without heat, few supplies or text, labs with no

This exemplum shows the author’s viewpoint well; not only is the school overpopulated with 1,500 students, but it is also mainly filled with minorities, as given by the principal’s statement “this would not happen to white children.” (page 244) It reinforces his purpose by giving the audience an example of how his perspective is true in order to allow the readers to consider the author’s argument.

Let’s do away with the school system. In “Against school, John Taylor Gatto says, “They said the work was stupid, that it made no sense, that they already knew it. They said that they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around” (Gatto 608). Gatto uses his article “Against School” to talk about how the school system is not necessary. He uses certain rhetorical strategies and personal experiences to do so. In “Against School”, John Taylor Gatto uses his personal experience in his thirty years of working in the school system and some rhetorical strategies to convince people who have children in the public-school system that kids do not need to be put in the system to have an education.

At Hazelwood High School, they do things differently than at my school. At Hazelwood, most of the people worry about themselves and nobody else. Most of the school doesn’t get good grades and the school does not do anything about it. One day in English class Andy walked out when they were reading Macbeth because it was too emotional for Andy to handle. His friends were concerned and told the school counselor. They said, “But… but… it seems like… like… he needs help or somethin’.” Then the counselor said, “Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you boys this, but he is getting some outside counseling… So you boys can relax and be assured that he is getting whatever help he needs”(100). At Harrisburg High School, if someone had an issue like that, the counselors and teachers would be concerned, even if the person was getting outside help. Another thing about education that is different than mine is the school. In Ronda’s English homework, she wrote, “Our school building must have been built about a million years ago, because it was brown and tall and raggedy-looking, but it fit right in with the rest of the day”(16). At my high school, we are very fortunate to have a very new building to learn inside of. At Hazelwood High, they were not fortunate enough to have a new high school be built. Culture and education are very important pieces of people’s

Jonathon Kozol’s, “ The Shame of the Nation”, mainly covers the the discoveries of Jonathon Kozol of the discrimination and segregation that is still implemented today throughout schools in the United States, since the Supreme Court had tried to eradicate ruling of Brown v. Board of Education. Kozol travels a wide plethora of schools, where he records his findings, many troubling and of the apparent discrimination still experienced by minority school children in places like the Bronx. Essentially, this book was an eye opener to the average american. One would have never thought that the experiences Kozol was told by some of the children had talked about would ever have happened in an average public school.

I am aware that there are better and worse high schools out there than Fremont High School. And yet, reading Kozol's account of the terrible conditions that are endured by these students made me feel more aware of the severity of improper or inadequate education that poorly funded schools provide. All of these problems, alongside my awareness of my fortunate years of education, make me wonder, just as Mireya did, as to why, "...[students] who need it so much more get so much less?" (Kozol 648). Interestingly, I have little to comment on Kozol's actual writing style, even though he wrote this account of his. I was just so attached to the characters within that school that I wanted to be able to reach out somehow; Kozol definitely achieved something very touching here.

Gladwell uses Korean airplane crashes and Asian children being good at math to support his arguments on cultural legacy playing a part in being successful. In these countries there is a high level of respect and a strong foundation of hard work that contributes to these two events. The respect created the plane crashes since co pilots fear speaking up to their superiors, and the foundation of hard work drives the children to put their all into their work. Gladwell takes these properties and applies them to a school named KIPP in New York City that supposedly uses cultural legacy to help make their students succeed. The problem with this that Gladwell presents cultural legacy as being heritage linked. KIPP school is duplicating the actions of

Martia is a 12 year old that's on the poor side of the story. Marita got a Opportunity to go to a KIPP school a school that turns losers into winners, so she took it. Marita begins telling her story: “ I wake up at five-forty-a.m to get a headstart… I leave school at five p.m…Start my homework.And if it's not a lot of homework that day, it will take me two to three hours” (264). She does that every day, Marita has got an opportunity and is making the best out of it working her hardest. “Her community does not give her what she needs. So what does she have to do? Give up her evenings and weekends and friends.” (266). Gladwell says referring to Marita. Marita has really committed herself to the KIPP school and to her work. You see with one chance and opportunity that usually wealthy kids get, the poor girl, Marita made something out of it. If poor and wealthy kids get the same amount of opportunities and wouldn't be such a gap in test scores between the

Gladwell extends by using different types of evidence through noting stories about KIPP students, especially Marita. KIPP students continue to challenge their poor circumstances by accomplishing their goals and exceeding in

At Anaheim High School some students seem to always complain of being tired from the night before doing homework late some due to not understanding, others did not have enough time. Teachers as well as parents seem to always go the extra mile to help students with their learning problems but sometimes it is difficult. Therefore, in order to increase student success at Anaheim High School student have a thinking skills class. In “Marita’s Bargain” by Gladwell stated “They all do a course call thinking skills until seven fifty-five” (9). This quote is important because it tells you they start the day off by waking up the brain with this first class which gives them more time to ask questions and have a better understanding on subjects. Another

Although many critics within the academic world will oppose by saying that character and self-esteem are taught through academia, I firmly reject that stance as a child’s first point of contact in terms of socialization is at home, with one’s family and community. This means that a child is first taught, at home, the character traits that will help him excel regardless of the impact school has on him.