1 of 1 copy available
This unique volume collects personal essays, letters, and stories by dozens of high school students who were given the chance to speak their minds about their own education. From letters to their teachers to essays and vignettes inspired by the works of James Baldwin and Sherman Alexie, this collection of student writing contains startling insights for educators, parents, and anyone invested in our future.
Be Honest includes writing from students across the country, of every ethnic group and financial bracket: A girl from an immigrant family is put in an ESL class even though her English is fluent; an African American boy talks about the social pressures that prevent him from asking his teacher for help; and a privileged private school student describes his transition to public school—and reports that he was able to learn more with the increased freedom it brought.
The newest book from 826 National, the celebrated organization founded by Dave Eggers and Nínive Calegari, coauthors of the bestselling Teachers Have It Easy—is a much-needed addition to the current national conversation about our schools.
“826 helps young people learn that language can be play, that work can be joyful, and that they themselves can be the inventors and caretakers of their world. I have seen it with my own eyes.” —Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 19, 2019 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781595586865
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781595586865
- File size: 867 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 23, 2011
Insightful observations and useful ideas abound in these writings by participants in 826 National, a nonprofit San Franciscoâbased tutoring program focused on writing. In these "Letters to Teachers," edited by Calegari, the program's cofounder (along with Dave Eggers), the writers address specific "teachers who had an impact on their lives." All the writers are teenagers, and the essays focus on a wide range of subjects: the section "Vignettes Inspired by Sherman Alexie" recalls events from primary through high school. Another section addresses a phrase from James Baldwin, "prepared to âgo for broke,'Â " as starting point and assesses the state of American education. One student writes: "I have witnessed the dismantling of the California public education system, one budget cut at a time." Another group of essays explores how schools would look if the students ran them: cleaner bathrooms and working water fountains, more innovative use of space, and a rethinking of metal detectors. The collection is fresh and as informing as much research-oriented work. In pithy, pertinent, and affecting writings, the students advise administrators to make "sure good teachers running all of the classes," and urge teachers to "raise their expectations of all students so that precious potential will not be lost." -
July 1, 2011
826 National is a nonprofit organization that partners writers and educators with classroom teachers and students to develop writing as a means of expression. There are nine 826 locations across the country--Calegari cofounded, with Dave Eggers, the first, in San Francisco. In this collection, students express their thoughts about what works and what doesn't in American education today. While not scholarly or particularly authoritative, the volume has power beyond research and statistics via the voices of students within the educational system. Readers get to see how current policies as they are implemented impact those they are meant to help. VERDICT This is an outstanding book. Not only is it eye-opening to see how students feel about schools and education, it is encouraging to read teens express themselves so capably. It also displays the influence of 826, one of the more innovative school/community partnerships out there. A valuable look at education from students' perspectives.--Mark Bay, Univ. of the Cumberlands Lib., Williamsburg, KY
Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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