The Enduring Legacy

Structured Inequality in America's Public Schools

Subjects: Education, Political Science, Race and Politics, Public Policy
Paperback : 9780472054688, 180 pages, 34 b&w photos, 6 x 9, September 2020
Open Access : 9780472903986, 180 pages, 34 b&w photos, 6 x 9, March 2023
Hardcover : 9780472074686, 180 pages, 34 b&w photos, 6 x 9, September 2020

This book is freely available in an open-access edition thanks to the Open Educational Resources development funds provided by the Open Educational Resources and Curriculum Support initiative at National University.
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The moral failure of American structured inequality in education

Description

Enduring Legacy describes a multifaceted paradox—a constant struggle between those who espouse a message of hope and inclusion and others who systematically plan for exclusion. Structured inequality in the nation’s schools is deeply connected to social stratification within American society. This paradox began in the eighteenth century and has proved an enduring legacy. Mark Ryan provides historical, political, and pedagogical contexts for teacher candidates—not only to comprehend the nature of racial segregation but, as future educators, to understand their own professional responsibilities, both in the community and in the school, to strive for an integrated classroom where all children have a chance to succeed. The goal of providing every child a world-class education is an ethical imperative, an inherent necessity for a functioning pluralistic democracy. The challenge is both great and growing, for teachers today will face an evermore segregated American classroom.

Mark Ryan is an adjunct professor at National University. He has a Doctorate in Higher and Adult Education from Arizona State University at Tempe and was awarded the President’s Distinguished Teaching Award at National University. He is the author of Ask the Teacher: A Practitioner’s Guide to Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom. This book can be found in nearly three hundred university libraries around the world.

“A must read and resource for educators! Mark Ryan's timely book explores the historical, political, and pedagogical reality of growing segregation and racial isolation in America’s twenty-first-century public schools. He provides a clear historical trajectory of segregation in America, and presents solutions to provide equitable education for all children.”
—Nilsa J. Thorsos, National University

- Nilsa J. Thorsos, National University

“. . . well written, includes well-selected and relevant images, and draws upon up-to-date research on the history of resegregation, tracking, and politics to make a case for explaining the unequal educational system that currently exists.”
—Thomas Fallace, William Paterson University

- Thomas Fallace, William Paterson University

Read: Faculty Spotlight on Academy Insights | 11/2020