Fire In The Ashes Book Review

Reform Where It Is Needed It seems that with each election, one of the topics circulating is about education. Most citizens will agree that the educational system is in need of a change; many have tried in the past but with little to no avail. The blame for a failing educational system does not lie with the schools themselves, but with the politicians and school boards in charge of schools’ curriculums. Teaching methods and lesson plans should not be constructed by commercialized industries whose sole purpose is to make a profit, but by educators that value education and the students they are teaching. The scholars whose literature and research that will comprise this paper include Dr. Jonathan Kozol, Nancie Atwell, and a compilement of research presented by Steven Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, and Arthur Hyde. For twenty-five years, Dr. Kozol studied, worked with, and became a family with numerous families living in the inner cities of New York. Among his …show more content…
Jonathan Kozol’s novel, Fire In The Ashes, depicts families who were forced into homelessness in one way or another and were forced to live their lives in the inner cities of New York. Violence and drugs overran most of the neighborhoods, and the educational system simply pushed students from grade to grade without caring whether the students learned anything at all. This notion is illustrated within the second chapter of the novel. Lisette, a daughter of a resident living in a homeless shelter, is described by her mother as having “potential”, however, the schools are inadequate. Lisette’s mother notes that “an A-plus on a book report doesn’t mean a whole lot at this school she goes to,” (Kozol 21) illustrating how this school system and ones like it will push students along, giving them passing grades even though they are not earned. These school systems are failing students, not giving them the attention and education they deserve. They may advance from grade level to grade level, but failing them in