A powerful book for anyone in education

As you know, I am currently working on my doctorate at Virginia Tech. This most current book we are reading is an ethnographic study on disengagement of Black American students in an affluent Cleveland, OH suburb. Of course, this book caught my attention from the very beginning knowing a little about the Cleveland area. Dr. Ogbu and his team have done several studies on academic disengagement of minority students and his findings are thought provoking and powerful. This is a study of Shaker Heights, Oh - a fully integrated and planned city just outside of Cleveland. Throughout this book, Dr. Ogbu reports his findings of why, even after careful planning, there remains a large achievement gap between black and white students in Shaker Heights. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in public education is how to create schools and communities where achievement gaps close or do not even start in the first place. Disengagement from school is a difficult task for anyone working in a school to try and fix, but very necessary. Middle school is a tough time for students emotionally and academically and as a school community it is our responsibility to keep students engaged. I encourage parents and teachers to evaluate the amount of engagement of your children and students and if it needs some help, reach out and get busy.

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