"Multiplication Is for White People": Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children
“If all teachers adopted these ideas, the American educational system would be vastly improved for all students. Covering age groups from preschool to college, Delpit offers advice to new and veteran teachers, advice that applies not only to African American students but to all ethnic and minority groups. A much-needed review of the American educational system and an examination of the techniques needed to improve the teaching methods of all involved in that system.”—Kirkus Reviews“In this passionate book, Lisa Delpit argues thoughtfully and urgently for a new approach to the education of the children who are now left behind. We must heed her words of wisdom.”—Diane Ravitch, author ofThe Death and Life of the Great American School System“Once again Lisa Delpit dispels myths about the way in which African American children learn. She demonstrates how they can master complex concepts and succeed if racist systems get out of their way.”—Herbert Kohl, 2010 Guggenheim Education Fellow, National Book Award winner, and author of36 Children“This book is an instant classic. By challenging us to reimagine the culture, politics, and practice of teaching our nation’s most vulnerable and marginalized students, Lisa Delpit raises the stakes of the current conversations on education yet again. Her scholarship is rigorous, her scope is wide-ranging, her writing is magical, and her hope is contagious.”—Marc Lamont Hill, author ofBeats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity“'Multiplication Is for White People'compels readers to think deeply about why we allow assessment to drive instruction, why we have silenced discussion about inequality in public policy, and why outcomes continue to be so stubbornly correlated with race. At a time when profound thinking about solving America's education dilemmas is in short supply, Delpit has come to the rescue with a book that forces us to do just that.”—Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author ofThe Trouble With Black Boys