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Title: I Choose To Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City
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Manufacturer: Kensington
List Price: $15.00
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| I Choose To Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City by Kensington Reading Club Book | | Have not finished reading yet but others who have read it in my group say it is wonderful and very enlightning. I am please with what I have read | | I Choose To Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City by Kensington Inspirational Story With Teeth | As with most inspirational titles, this is a fast read. Mr. Thomas-El's account is especially worth reading for an inner-city teacher such as me. Both the downs of teaching in a challenging environment (violence and death, pernicious attitudes undermining success) and the ups of an energetic and talented teacher's influence are presented.
Readers will be unhappy with views presented by Mr. Thomas-EL if they bring a basic misunderstanding of the book's purpose and premise. Although co-written, Mr. Thomas-El's personal experience is foremost. Yes, the man is smart, but he admits failures and mistakes and seems to have no delusions about the likelihood of more of them in his future.
If a reader is concerned with depth, standardized test scores and the overall political scene in education, attempting to focus on them in this context would totally miss the point of the book. As a teacher in a school system with a significant percentage of families who are dealing with the issues Mr. El finds himself facing every day, I can completely understand how one person could have a profound impact on the lives of a small (but not insignificant) number of individuals within his sphere without that sphere being large enough in and of itself to result in increased institutional test scores. The title says it all: "I Choose to Stay". Mr. El is there because of what he is able to do with the relatively few students he spends time with day in and day out, not because he feels he is personally charged with the task of bringing about a sea-change of attitudes in American inner-city culture or the U.S. political environment on education. As to why Mr. El's school "always scores in the bottom percentile" of its standardized tests, I believe the answer lies in the frequency, intensity and duration of the problems the majority of his students are facing. If every teacher in Mr. El's school influenced five students in his or her classroom in a way similar to Mr. El's work with his chess students, I think the school's test scores would rise. I believe almost any teacher could have that much effect on a small number of students, but very few have the drive to spend the quantity of personal time required above and beyond the requirements of a daily routine with 20-30 students.
Perhaps changes could be made to the educational system that would make a difference, but I feel that this is where the educational community has been misled in the past. The most important issue highlighted by Mr. Thomas-EL's experience is not the educational system, but the overall cultural, spiritual and economic inheritance with which so many families are coping. Changing the entire culture, converting unbelievers and raising everyone out of poverty are goals that reach beyond the educational system (and the scope of this book), but according to the author, the best place to start seems to be with the circle of people with whom you connect every day. | | I Choose To Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City by Kensington A Positive Role Model | | Salome Thomas-El's book, I CHOOSE TO STAY is both a memoir and inspirational tale of his unrelenting dedication to inner city schools. Born one of eight kids, he began his life in the projects of Philadelphia. Even as a child, he showed dedication to his community and a thirst for knowledge. Most of his fondest memories are of teachers who supported, encouraged, and helped to mold him into the man he is today. After high school, Thomas-El attended East Stroudsburg University, a predominantly white institution where he had to fight hard against prejudices and racism. Upon graduation, he pursued a career in broadcasting, but soon he was called on to teach. After teaching in several suburban schools, Thomas-El realized that he could give back more to his community by teaching in inner city schools. Once he had the opportunity, he began transforming the students and the schools by establishing a chess club, Saturday schools, and several tutorial programs. Students have gone on to attend colleges and win national chess championships under his guidance. Although he has been offered several lucrative contracts from suburban schools, he declines to take them, knowing that helping these children is much more rewarding than anything that money can buy. I CHOOSE TO STAY is a must read for anyone in the education system. It shows how one man's vision, dedication, and perseverance helped transform a school system, and encourage students who were otherwise lost. Salome Thomas-El exemplifies what it means to be a teacher and many can learn from hearing his story. Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers | | I Choose To Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City by Kensington A Compelling Book | | I Choose to Stay is a compelling book. It is not only a great read but it is also deeply informative about the needs of inner city schools, and analytical about the strengths of inner city education. The intertwining of the professional and the personal journeys of the author give this book depth and energy. | | I Choose To Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City by Kensington An inspirationl story that lacks teeth | When I heard that this book was being published, I literally counted the days until I had my hands on it. After having read the book, my feelings were so strong that I chose not to write about it until I have had a few months to get over them. I must say that I was very disappointed. I have the highest respect for Mr. El and everyone else in his profession. I have a very similar background to Mr. El - grew up in North Philly, attended public high school, went on to pursue advanced degrees at an Ivy league university, and am deeply involved in public education in Philadelphia. Therefore, with all due respect, I found it very had to swallow some of the things that I read in the book about his experiences. I saw the embelleshments of a ghost writer all over this book. The theme became redundant after some time. The first half of the book was spent telling the reader how smart Mr. El was. The second half was about how the kids could do it if someone beileves in them etc, etc, blah, blah. I've seen all this in movies.
I also feel that the book lacked depth. What about the effect of the political scene on public education? How about explaining why the PSSA scores in your schools are always so low? I want to know why a school that has such a dedicated public servant always scores in the bottom percentile year in and year out? What are your thoughts, Mr. El, on what kind of changes we have to make to the system to make public education work in Philadelphia? I understand that Mr. El can't get involved in these issues because he still has a career to think about but I was hoping to see someone step forward and expose the political hypocrisy that continues to keep our kids down. In closing, again I want to reiterate how much I respect this profession and understand what kind of dedication and personal sacrifices have to be made in order to make changes in the lives of children so thank you for that, Mr. El. | | I Choose To Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City by Kensington Book Description | | The challenges of working in an urban school are not for every teacher. Some get burnt out fast. Some lose sight of why they started teaching to begin with. Some find their calling in other neighborhoods…with other kids. But not Salome Thomas-EL. A teacher at Roberts Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia’s inner city, he chose to stay. Gripping, poignant, and surprisingly honest, this is his blistering real-life tale of mentoring and making a difference—and of how the reformation of America’s educational system can start with just one school. I CHOOSE TO STAY
Salome Thomas-EL Embodying the best qualities of education pioneers Joe Clark and Jaime Escalante, Salome Thomas-EL is a black man dedicated to changing the lives—and dreams—of inner city kids. Born in 1964, one of eight children, Salome grew up in the Philadelphia projects. But identified early as "gifted," he had doors opened to him that are closed to most. In a media-related job, talking with superstars such as Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks, he was on the fast track to success. But he couldn’t forget his roots, or the children of the inner city. In the late 1980s, he went back into disadvantaged neighborhoods and into the classroom. As teacher, mentor, and in most cases, the only positive male role model in these children’s lives, Salome Thomas-EL would do something extraordinary: he would lead the girls and boys of his school to victory as they competed in three major championships. Chess championships. Reviving the chess club, the Mighty Bishops, Salome taught his pupils to resolve conflict with their minds instead of their fists. They went into regional competitions, to the nationals in Tennessee, and to the U.S. Open in Orlando. Not knowing they were expected to lose, they won. In the years between 1996 and 2000, Mr. Thomas-EL helped scores of other schools begin similar programs. But in the same years, twenty of his students were murdered. Clearly, chess wasn’t enough. Now in this compelling memoir, Salome Thomas-EL tells of what else needed to be done, from implementing the 100-book challenge program, to Saturday tutoring and in-school breakfasts. As his efforts began to have a citywide impact, the offers began pouring in for promotions, for advancement, for his going elsewhere. He chose to stay, and the results are an inspiration to us all. More than just one man's story, I CHOOSE TO STAY shows concerned Americans everywhere how to make a difference in their schools and communities. Acknowledging problems, banding together to solve them, and seeing the value of mentoring relationships are all lessons to be learned from the life of this extraordinary man, whose struggle and triumph are a model of how to engage students and their creativity...and of how to live. |
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