Don't Miss

• Morrison's Gift Picks
• Holiday Catalog 2009
• NYRB Classics: Save 30%
• Paperback Favorites
  for Book Groups
• Springer Math Sale!
• Subscribe to Indiespensable

More at Powell's

• Featured Signed Editions
• Rare and Collectible Books
• eBooks | Audio | DVDs | Blu-ray

---

Original Essays | December 12, 2009

The Courage of Others

0 comments By Alexander McCall Smith

I have recently written a novel about life in England during the Second World War. I felt some concern before I tackled this theme — the War... Continue »

---

1. 
   $16.76 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

   La's Orchestra Saves the World

   Alexander McCall Smith

Report Comment

---

You are reporting a comment on the following title:

---

You are reporting the following comment:

Anna Atkins, March 24, 2007

I work as an assistant teacher and this book rings so true.Thankfully,the school I work at isn't like some of the schools Mr.Kozol visited.The school I work at is kindergarten to 4th grade and it is all black.I mean it is like the school system wasn't even desegregated.The sad thing is,these kids don't interact with different races besides their own outside of school.The only white people they interact with is at the school.When these kids move upto the middle school,it will be a shock for them to see other races of kids beside their own.In our school system,we use some of the same workbooks like Test Ready and such in our school.I dislike the No Child Left Behind Act becuase in two of our grades there are over 25 kids in each room with one teacher and an assistant.It is ridiculous,there are too many kids in one room.They need to be split up,like two classes with 18 kids each.Plus if a teacher is trying her/his hardest and the kids still don't perform upto par,the school is frowned upon.Then they are put on probation,so someone from the state department comes and checks up on them.Our public school systems are in a sad state of affairs.The country with the best education system in the world is Finland.They don't even start school till age six and then at sixteen,they go to college or a vocational school.The colleges are free to all Finnish students.The United States needs to take a long hard look at our education system and take a page out of Finland's book.
Kids are kids no matter what color the skin.They fit in just fine with other kids.When I was growing up,the school I went to was a mix of kids and we got along fine.How does a child learn about other cultures if he/she is only around one type every day?I think also what would help,is if parents pitched in with the child's learning.It's not all upto the teachers, the parents have to be involved and committed as well.You can't put it all on the teacher.

---

Your email address:

---

Reason for report:

---

Are you a robot? We didn't think so. But just to be sure, please type what you see in the following image into the box below.

---

Confirmation:

Are you certain you wish to report this comment?

---

Terms and Conditions

We welcome your comments and ideas, but we ask that you refrain from:

• Obscenity
• Spam
• Illegal content
• Copyrighted material
• Commercial solicitations

By posting your comments you are granting the good people of Powells.com the right (but not the obligation) to make your comments available to others over the Internet, and to copy and distribute your comments via other media, in each case on a royalty free basis. These terms govern the rights and obligations of the person posting comments and Powells.com; there are no intended third party beneficiaries of these terms.

Posted comments are subject to monitoring, editing, and removal at any time. Please see our Terms of Use for our complete terms and conditions.

---

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

In accordance with The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, you must be at least 13 to submit comments on Powells.com.