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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What influential African American does Kozol note was often cited when black parents or black school officials discussed educating students in the urban public school system?

2. What year did Kozol begin teaching in Boston?

3. According to Kozol, East St. Louis has one of the highest rates of which disease in America?

4. What is one way Kozol says children realize they are getting an inferior education?

5. In what year did Martin Luther King, Jr. live in North Lawndale?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did East St. Louis become so poor?

2. How does Kozol describe the township of Sauget?

3. What reasons does Irl Solomon give for young teachers not staying at Martin Luther King Jr. High?

4. What financial cuts are proposed for the schools in East St. Louis? Why do cuts have to be made to the schools in East St. Louis? Who is responsible for making the cuts?

5. How does Kozol describe East St. Louis?

6. How does Kozol describe the neighborhoods in which the urban schools he visited were located?

7. What problem exists at Lathrop Elementary School, and what is the source of this problem?

8. What does the media, parents, and teachers think the issue is with public education?

9. Why are the major industries that dump waste into East St. Louis not taxed there?

10. What problems exist at Martin Luther King High School in East St. Louis?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why is it hard for urban public schools to retain young teachers? Where do the young teachers end up teaching? What changes should the school system to make in order to recruit and retain young teachers? Because the urban school system has many aging teachers, what future issues may arise as the teachers start to near retirement age? Please use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Kozol points out that racial discrimination is the cause of many of the inequalities that exist in the public school system. However, some of the individuals that he interviews think that it's a socioeconomic issue and not a race issue. Based on the book Savage Inequalities, are the problems that exist in urban public schools caused by racial discrimination, socioeconomic status, or both. Why? Provide at least three detailed reasons for your answer. Please use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

In the book's forward entitled, Looking Backward: 1964-1991, Kozol describes his teaching experience as an innovative teacher at an urban Boston public school. In later chapters, Kozol describes how other teachers try to be innovative despite their lack of resources. Give three detailed examples from the book Savage Inequalities of how teachers in the urban school districts Kozol visits are innovative with limited resources. How are these teachers innovative? Where do they find the resources to continue to be innovative? Please use specific examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

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