In the Crossfire: Marcus Foster and the Troubled History of American School Reform (Politics and Culture in Modern America)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.10 (611 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 081222325X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 312 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-03-22 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Linda Lambert said A Stunning Story of a Remarkable Man and the History of School Reform. I chose this book because our friend Bob Blackburn played a major role in Foster'slife-- and soon found that tracing the career of Marcus Foster was a journey intothe history of civil rights, school reform, and terror in American. If you are not yetacquainted with Foster, you'll find it a remarkable story that is very well researchedand written by John Spencer. W. mollys said Excellent and informative read. This was a very interesting and well written book about school reform in our country in the decades of the 60's and 70's, built around the story of the career of it's main character, Marcus Foster.It was inspiring to read about the positive efforts of Dr.Foster during a very tumultuous time in both Philadelphia and Oakland and other major cities and seeing the fr. honest abe said Incisive historical analysis. A scholarly yet eminently readable. Author John Spencer's careful research and skillful use of the language makes for a thoughtful assessment of a troubling period.
Foster's story encapsulates larger social changes in the decades after World War II: the great black migration from South to North, the civil rights movement, the decline of American cities, and the ever-increasing emphasis on education as a ticket to success. By focusing on an educator who worked in the trenches and had a reputation for bridging divisions, In the Crossfire sheds new light on the continuing ideological debates over race, poverty, and achievement.Foster charted a course between the extremes of demanding too little and expecting too much of schools as agents of opportunity in America. As media reports declare crisis after crisis in public education, Americans find themselves hotly debating educational inequalities that seem to violate their nation's ideals. He called for accountability not only from educators but also from families, taxpayers, and political and economic institutions. His effort to mobilize multiple constituencies was a key to his success—and a lesson for educators and policymakers who would take aim at achievement gaps without addressing the full range of school and nonschool factors that create the
Spencer is Associate Professor of Education at Ursinus College. . John P
"In the Crossfire does an exemplary job of narrating Foster's educational and occupational trajectory, first as student in the Jim Crow South, then as a teacher and principal in Philadelphia, and finally as an administrator in Oakland. Yet Spencer accomplishes so much more than this. By carefully examining Foster's work in Philadelphia and Oakland, California from 1958 to 1973, John Spencer sheds new light on a pivotal era in the evolution of African American schools. John Spencer has produced a splendid study of a long-neglected educator, whose life ended in violence and tragedy. While he grounds his analysis in the singular life of one man, Spencer expertly utilizes Foster to tell a much larger story about the "troubled history" of urban education, equality, and school reform in the postwar period."—Journal of American Studies"Can