"Multiplication Is For White People": Raising Expectations For Other People's Children (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
Well, this is a pisser. To be clear: Delpit is a strong writer covering a topic that's sure to enrage almost everyone: that is, public education in the US. The short version is vast amounts of money from the Gates and Walton foundations (among other sources) haven't helped, except to divert energy and money away from public schools. No Child Left Behind hasn't helped, except to divert billions away from any actual education and into private companies producing the loathed tests and test-prep materials (if I recall correctly, one of the Bush sons is in this racket, although that isn't covered in this book). State efforts to bust unions, depress wages, and transfer employment from career teachers to the well-meaning but inexperienced Teach For America volunteers who mostly quit after their very short (two year) commitment. Most surprising thing I learned: desegregation of public schools meant that experienced teachers of color got fired in favor of inexperienced white teachers in a huge way, and pretty much every reform effort since then has shown the same pattern.Although the system is a boondoggle, there are still teachers and schools that do manage to teach, but students of color and poor students are getting the worst education. Since 2010 far my state has spent more than $144 million implementing the Common Core standards, and the state legislature has decided they don't like it, and it needs to be changed. Gee, I wonder how much more money they'll spend and to whom they'll give it? What I know is, it isn't going into schools, or teachers, or anything that will actually improve the education of students in this state. Yeah, I'm enraged.Library copy. This book, primarily written for educators (or so it seemed to me), explored some really interesting concepts regarding why children of color don't tend to fare well in school. It talks about other people's (teachers and principals) expectations about what a child is capable of, depending on that child's background and the educator's attempts to challenge or overcome both real and perceived barriers to learning. My main quarrel with this book is about its complete focus on black/African American children to the near exclusion of other children of color. While I do understand that Black and African American children have significant challenges to overcome in the education system, I felt that the book missed the opportunity to look at challenges faced by other groups, including Native Americans and children of immigrants and refugees, as well as those with differences outside of race. These challenges, which may also be compounded by language barriers for the parents also make it difficult for these children to succeed. The feeling of "not belonging" she mentions throughout the book isn't just experienced by African American children. It's experienced by students who are different in any way - be it race/ethnicity, physical or mental ability, etc. While I agree that there is a lot of merit in making the material fun and relevant to students - which can be done regardless of subject - the idea of adapting the curriculum only to African American culture only addresses part of the problem. Other marginalized groups should be explored and celebrated as well. Students should learn that what each group has contributed to building this country and should still recognize how groups have been marginalized over the years. I'm not sure of the timing of the publication, so perhaps something else to be addressed in a future book would be to spend some time exploring the changing demographics in this country and how that will have an impact. The projection that the US will become a majority-minority population within the next 40 years affect our education system as well. Overall, I think this book stimulated a lot of thought and brought to light issues that contribute to the difficulties experienced by children in the American education system. Multiplication is for White People is a book I'd recommend, but I wished this book, which talks about "other people's children" would have actually included them all.
What do You think about "Multiplication Is For White People": Raising Expectations For Other People's Children (2012)?
A great review of the current literature, along with Delpit's own insights.
—Tigger
Not a page turner but thought provoking and perspective changing for sure.
—sam
Interesting theories, not sure I agree but worth learning more!
—Cowboy
So many thoughts & so many great quotes to add in later.
—lindap2
