John's Response to "What Works?"
February 9, 2006 12:18 PM
Michele, I'm also curious about what teachers think about Direct Instruction and Success for All (SFA), especially after reading this article, adapted from Jonathan Kozol's book, The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America.
In Kozol's view, SFA is something out of The Stepford Wives (and I mean the really creepy original, not the campy remake starring Nicole Kidman). Kozol portrays students in SFA classrooms acting like robots responding to the teacher's bizarre gestures and verbal commands. Kozol writes that SFA and similar programs are "Skinnerian approaches (which are commonly employed in penal institutions and drug-rehabilitation programs)," designed to "[alter] the attitudes and learning styles of black and Hispanic children."
It's hard to believe Kozol's grim portrayal of these classrooms and even harder to believe that, if Kozol's portrayal were accurate. Let's hear from our readers.
Comments
It's hard for me to find the article to which you refer, which seems to be somewhere on AFT's site.
Having taught in NYC for 22 years, I only stumbled upon Kozol's work in the last 5 or so. I find everything he says to be very accurate, and I do believe urban districts set up their kids for failure. I was amazed when I first started reading him, because his conclusions mirrored my own almost exactly.
Look how Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki throw the landmark CFE case back and forth at one another, neither willing to actually pay for NYC kids to get a fair education.
I'm horrified to imagine Kozol could be remotely wrong about anything, but I'll read the article if you can point me to it.
Posted by: NYC Educator | February 11, 2006 06:28 AM
The Kozol article is hyperlinked in John's post, but here is the url:
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/American-Apartheid-Education1sep05.htm
Posted by: Michele | February 11, 2006 10:35 AM
That's the second time I've seen someone miss a linked page on this site. Can you do something to make the links more clear?
Thanks
Posted by: A. Ruben | February 13, 2006 07:48 PM