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Overview"Can public schools still educate America's children, particularly in poor and working class communities? Many advocates of school reform have called for dismantling public education in favor of market-based models of reform such as privatization and vouchers. By contrast, this pathfinding book explores how community organizing and activism in support of public schools in one of America's most economically disadvantaged regions, the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, has engendered impressive academic results. Dennis Shirley focuses the book around case studies of three schools that have benefited from the reform efforts of a community group called Valley Interfaith, which works to develop community leadership and boost academic achievement. He follows the remarkable efforts of teachers, parents, school administrators, clergy, and community activists to take charge of their schools and their communities and describes the effects of these efforts on students' school performance and testing results. Uniting gritty realism based on extensive field observations with inspiring vignettes of educators and parents creating genuine improvement in their schools and communities, this book demonstrates that public schools can be vital ""laboratories of democracy,"" in which students and their parents learn the arts of civic engagement and the skills necessary for participating in our rapidly changing world. It persuasively argues that the American tradition of neighborhood schools can still serve as a bedrock of community engagement and academic achievement. Dennis Shirley is Associate Dean and Professor of Teacher Education at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College." Full Product DetailsAuthor: Dennis ShirleyPublisher: University of Texas Press Imprint: University of Texas Press Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.454kg ISBN: 9780292777651ISBN 10: 0292777655 Pages: 176 Publication Date: 01 February 2002 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print ![]() This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Community Organizing in the Rio Grande Valley1. Founding Valley Interfaith: The Origins of a Grassroots Organization2. Parental Engagement at Palmer Elementary School3. Contested Change at Alamo Middle School4. Transforming Sam Houston Elementary School5. The Challenges of Community Organizing and School ReformAppendixNotesBibliographyReviewsAuthor InformationDennis Shirley is Associate Dean and Professor of Teacher Education at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |