Debunking the Middle-Class Myth Why Diverse Schools Are Good for All Kids [Paperback]

Since critical value judgments can be formulated as early as age eight, it is important that all educators and families recognize the need for our children to function and excel in diverse situations. Diverse classrooms can be the most resourceful, energetic, and respectful collaborations in the country. These are the classrooms that will prepare our students for life. This book emphasizes the fact that we need to be working toward that goal.Parents want to provide their children with the best education possible. Will they be better prepared for life by being isolated or by being exposed to the reality of our diverse population? This book provides valuable insights about some of the myths circulating our society regarding schools highly impacted by minority students.A community and civic blueprint for the 21st Century, Debunking the Middle Class Myth: Why Diverse Schools are Good for All Kids is must reading for parents, educators, community leaders, and policy makers who want to move beyond the quick fixes of test scores and standardized education as the sole measures of America's schools. The events of September 11 made us all realize that the 'test' we all face is not the SAT or the ITBS, but the test of life. Eileen Kugler writes convincingly that our public schools are much more than knowledge factories, but the core institution in every community. Our public schools are the affirmative answer to the question: can a coherent, stable, unified culture be created out of the people of diverse traditions, languages, and religions? Kugler's voice is eminent in building these schools.[Kugler's] voice is not only powerful but sincere to the point where it forces readers to confront what is at stake in the future of America and to see for themselves that diverse schools are better schools.The book is particularly valuable because of the rarity of its voice and its call for parents to rethink the types of environments needed for the future of students in this country. ThlCš