I appreciate Kozol’s time spent immersed in education and his work to end inequality. He speaks with many educators throughout the book. Despite the sadness of the topic, this was an engaging read, one that feels important to witness in order to make positive change.

This book is an absolute must-read. Kozol has been observing and researching the vast inequities in childhood education for decades. I read Death at an Early Age and then Savage Inequalities. In this book, Kozol lays out evidence that segregated black (and brown) schools prioritize discipline and punishment and conformity as if the problem is individual children and their "dysfunctional" families as opposed to looking at the root causes of systemic institutionalized racism. School systems (public and charter) adopt a corporate/military-type obedience to authority. I had not idea that corporal punishment is not illegal. The use of isolation rooms for very young children is traumatizing. ProPublica did a major expose on the use of these in Chicago. The fact that kindergartners are being punished by engaging with the criminal justice system shines a light on how broken and inequitable our education system is in America. Kozol himself was fired for teaching a Langston Hughes poem to his black students when he was a young teacher. New teachers entering classrooms today have to follow a very tight script of what and how they teach. One teacher is called out for being too enthusiastic, smiling too much. Many school systems have hired these corporate training entities to train teachers to be authoritative disciplinarians. It is all about behavioral conditioning. I myself saw this in my neighborhood school in Chicago - 1st grade kids in uniforms having to sit quietly at tables where there where crayons and paper which they could not touch as the teacher slowly took attendance and collected lunch money. When it was time to switch to the next activity == she played chimes on a xylophone, which just like Pavlov's dog, the children stood up (no one was talking). The teacher said they were too noisy and had to do it again. And the action repeated itself. The classroom was covered with signs about "most cooperative" and "quiet in hallways" etc. I left my tour so disillusioned about what type of society are we building for this next generation. This book is a quick read and I encourage everyone to read this and also look at the citations in the back to do additional research -- there is a lot of emerging evidence that supports his case here.

Thank you to Netgalley and The New Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

AN END TO INEQUALITY by Jonathan Kozol is about "Breaking Down the Walls of Apartheid Education in America" with a call for reparations. Kozol is an award-winning, best-selling author of other titles like Savage Inequalities, Amazing Grace, The Shame of the Nation, and Rachel and Her Children. He has been writing about American schools since the mid-1960s and his recent text continues to present pleas for more equitable situations. Significant and disturbing statistics are woven throughout and he writes at length about "a parallel divide between two words of pedagogic practice and methods of instructional control: one of them a tightly wired code of discipline and training that is held to be appropriate for children of one class and race, the other with more space and time for children to take some joy in learning as an act of exploration." In the final chapter, Kozol points to school libraries (and their absence) as another measure of how educational opportunities differ. He says, "in Chicago, only ten percent of schools in which Black children make up the largest proportion of the student population still have school librarians, according to an investigative study published in 2021 and cited in a lengthy piece of disturbing reportage by the Chicago Sun Times in 2022." AN END TO INEQUALITY received a starred review from Kirkus. ("Most impressive is Kozol's ability to draw connections among disparate events to illustrate the underlying systems driving the nation’s greatest inequities."). Endnotes and sources encompass roughly a fourth of the well-researched text.

I think this might be a decent introductory text for people who are wanting a deeper look into the state of American education. As an educator and as someone who has read others of Kozol's books I didn't find it be all that informative.

Who hasn't read Savage Inequalities? (if that's you, please read now!)
Jonathan Kozol is by far the hero, one of the only, unchanging voices, asking for change to benefit all children. Kozol goes back to urban schools, where he first started his career to build a case that we are in many ways worse off then we were years ago.

The first few chapters will surely take your breath away. Kozol continues making the case the separation is not equal and dismantles the racist myths that are used to punish poor and or families of color - not only in urban schools but rural as well. The culminating chapter includes questions and answers - questions that detractors and friends might ask. It strengthens his case and I look forward to hearing what my fellow educators think.

Who will take up this mantel now that Kozol is in his late 80's? How can we still be arguing about the basic tenants of education, water, and food?

IMPORTANT KOZOL QUOTE
There is something deeply hypocritical in a society that holds an inner-city child only eight years old "accountable" for her performance on a high-stakes standardized exam but does not hold the high officials of our government accountable for robbing her of what they gave their own kids six or seven years before.”
― Jonathan Kozol, The Shame of the Nation
#Jonathonkozol #anendtoineqaulity

I really enjoyed this book, Kozol is a master and this book is such a great and well researched account of schools. It is a great look at schools and how people work to hopefully solve the issues--or at least try.

Jonathan Kozol’s portrayal of the current K-12 system is both heartbreaking and illuminating, showing how far the US hasn’t come following Brown v Board of Education. Hearing the poor physical conditions of schools and strict enforcement of militaristic conditions, it is no wonder administrators think it is their role to inflict misery onto students. The book does include some hopeful stories and is written with compassion for children.

I appreciate Kozol’s time spent immersed in education and his work to end inequality. He speaks with many educators throughout the book. Despite the sadness of the topic, this was an engaging read, one that feels important to witness in order to make positive change.

Who should read it: Sociology Majors, Educators, Parents, Politicians, and Anyone Who Cares About Our Future Society

Thank you to NetGalley and The New Press for the ARC.

Jonathan Kozol, a stalwart advocate for equality and racial justice in education, gifts us with his magnum opus with "An End to Inequality." This upcoming release marks the culmination of Kozol's illustrious career, which has been dedicated to dismantling the walls that segregate Black and Brown children from the mainstream of American society. As a therapist specializing in bibliotherapy and expressive creative therapies, I found this book to be a testament to the transformative potential of equitable education and the overall importance of the arts in public schools.

Kozol takes readers on a journey through the entrenched issues of apartheid education, boldly asserting that mere fixes won't suffice; the system itself must be dismantled. Drawing on his own experiences, including teaching at a segregated public school in Boston, where he was fired for introducing Langston Hughes's work, Kozol crafts a narrative that exposes the intentional harm inflicted upon students of color in these schools. He argues that segregated Black schools often prioritize punishment over intellectual curiosity, using biased data to justify these damaging practices.

One of the book's strengths lies in Kozol's exploration of the shift towards military and corporate paradigms in education. He meticulously examines the history of educational reform attempts and failures, particularly in cities like New York and Boston, providing his readers with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced in achieving equitable education - and yet, this book still reads as hopeful that change is possible!

Kozol's personal involvement in successful inter-district integration programs, such as the Boston-area Metco program, adds depth to his arguments. As a school social worker of African American and Puerto Rican descent, I appreciate Kozol's commitment to dismantling the myth that educational failures among Black and Brown children are solely the result of familial pathology and individual shortcomings. He skillfully dismantles these harmful beliefs, using real-life examples from his conversations with principals and teachers over the course of 15 years.

The book also sheds light on the troubling laws in certain states that permit practices like placing children in lockdown rooms without any imminent danger. Kozol's exploration of these issues serves as a wake-up call, urging readers to confront the systemic injustices embedded in our educational institutions.

The inclusion of the last section where Kozol directly responds to questions from readers enhances the book's accessibility and offers practical insights into what educational reparations can look like. "An End to Inequality" is not just a critique of the current state of education; it is a blueprint for transformation, grounded in Kozol's unwavering commitment to justice. If you enjoyed "Punished for Dreaming" by Dr. Bettina Love, you'll deeply appreciate this book.

In conclusion, Jonathan Kozol's "An End to Inequality" is a must-read for educators, therapists, and anyone passionate about dismantling the barriers that have perpetuated segregation and inequality in our schools. It is a clarion call for systemic change and a testament to Kozol's enduring dedication to ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, have access to an education that fosters curiosity, growth, and equality. Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!