2008 Woodie Awards
Renowned author and child advocate visits campus
Kozol makes second return to Saint Rose
Dan Murphy
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: News
On Thursday evening, Saint Rose played host for one of the most recognizable voices in the field of public education, as Jonathan Kozol appeared before a near capacity crowd in Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium. His lecture was the first of the year in a new series of speakers the college will be bringing to campus, entitled the Constance Vickery Series in Ethics in Leadership.
Kozol, a former elementary school teacher turned best selling author, is a staunch opponent of the No Child Left Behind Act, which has forced public schools across the country to gear their curriculum towards standardized testing. He first appeared on campus in 1978, 10 years after the release of his groundbreaking work "Death at an Early Age." Thirty years later, he returned to share his insight with an eclectic crowd of students, teachers, and local residents that hoped to learn from his storied career. His mix of fiery social commentary and gentle humor captivated his audience, which he addressed in his opening remarks to the Saint Rose student body.
"It always renews my spirits to be with ethically determined men and women such as you," he said.
Much of Mr. Kozol's lecture dealt with the inequality between inner city and suburban schools that has risen since the institution of the No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law by President Bush in 2002. He spoke of "segregated schools," and "castes of children," suggesting that the only result of such standardized testing has been a newly instilled corporate mentality in the children of our nation.
"You can't find the word 'love' in the No Child Left Behind Act," he said. "That's not one of the desired outcomes."
He also sympathized with educators across the country that have been forced to divert their curriculum in an effort to bring their students up to speed with the material on these tests.
"Good principals are telling me that they're making teachers do things they personally abhor to pump the scores," he said.
Kozol, a former elementary school teacher turned best selling author, is a staunch opponent of the No Child Left Behind Act, which has forced public schools across the country to gear their curriculum towards standardized testing. He first appeared on campus in 1978, 10 years after the release of his groundbreaking work "Death at an Early Age." Thirty years later, he returned to share his insight with an eclectic crowd of students, teachers, and local residents that hoped to learn from his storied career. His mix of fiery social commentary and gentle humor captivated his audience, which he addressed in his opening remarks to the Saint Rose student body.
"It always renews my spirits to be with ethically determined men and women such as you," he said.
Much of Mr. Kozol's lecture dealt with the inequality between inner city and suburban schools that has risen since the institution of the No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law by President Bush in 2002. He spoke of "segregated schools," and "castes of children," suggesting that the only result of such standardized testing has been a newly instilled corporate mentality in the children of our nation.
"You can't find the word 'love' in the No Child Left Behind Act," he said. "That's not one of the desired outcomes."
He also sympathized with educators across the country that have been forced to divert their curriculum in an effort to bring their students up to speed with the material on these tests.
"Good principals are telling me that they're making teachers do things they personally abhor to pump the scores," he said.
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