An African Centered Response to Ruby Payne's Poverty Theory

by Jawanza Kunjufu

Book Overview

This challenge to influential educator Ruby Payne's theories about the impact of class differences and economics on teaching and learning puts forward other factors as better predictors of student performance. Pointing to success stories in schools that serve low-income students, this refutation of Payne's popular teacher-training program asserts that teacher expectations, time on task, and the principal's leadership are the main factors in determining...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1934155004
• ISBN13: 9781934155004
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: African American Images
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Helpful and enlightening but needlessly antagonistic

I learned a lot from this book, much that as a white middle class, middle-aged educator who is brand new to urban teaching I found to be both insightful and valuable. I have spent the majority of this past school year volunteering in an extremely low performing school whose primary demographic is African American and poor. This coming school year, I will be employed in a teaching capacity at this same school. (After teaching in a middle class school for ten years, I took a ten-year break to pursue other interests including teaching rehabiliation classes in a California state prison. I have witnessed firsthand the injustice of the penal system as it pertains to African American males. This past year, I decided to return to the teaching field and am eager to do what I can to help students thrive and live in to their potential rather than sink and suffer a diminished life, and for some, that could mean incarceration.) I can appreciate--at least to some degree--the author's anger and sense of outrage. I say "at least to some degree" because I am a white male who has wrongly benefited from unprecedented access to power and privilege all of my life, just because of the comparative lack of pigmentation in my skin. So the racism and discrimination that Kunjufu and probably all African Americans have experienced is beyond my comprehension. It is tragic, but I wouldn't begin to say that I know what is like to suffer from racism. I can only empathize to the best of my ability. From my perspective, where the author loses a little bit of credibility is when he attacks Ruby Payne (as well as a couple other people) or addresses her in what comes across as a demeaning manner. I don't think Ruby Payne is the enemy. In fact, I know she's not. Her books, including A Framework for Understanding Poverty, are intended to help people such as myself gain an initial understanding into an economic situation, often born of racism, that is completely foreign and which does have an impact on poverty-stricken students' ability to be successful in the classroom. Her book is not the end point, but an effective starting point for helping people such as myself gain a better understanding. And Kunjufu's book is not the end point either, but another perspective, and an important one that further expands my understanding. (I intend to read more from both authors as well as other authors, so that I can understand more and, hopefully, be a highly effective teacher in the classroom.) Again, his comments about and toward Ruby Payne are, in my opinion, the weakest part of the book. I found myself basically dismissing his diatribes, because I sensed he was speaking from a place of deep anger and hurt, if not complete outrage over centuries of devastating racism which has destroyed so many lives and communities. I don't however dismiss his outrage; rather, I just sensed that he was unloading on Ruby Payne, and those who have never unloaded or dumped on another person can cast the fir

interesting but...

This is an interesting book. His bottom line is that good teachers create bright students. It would seem that a big part of being a good teacher is understanding your students. So I think Ruby Payne's book is still a useful read (along with this book) for middle class teachers who are teaching at-risk youth.

excellent

This little text is so very informative. The author expertly refutes the major arguments prevelant among the conservatives that our children are deficient. I am convinced.

If you read Ruby Payne, Read This!!

This book opened my eyes. I am an educator and this happens to our children everyday. I would love to meet the author.

Excellent Reading

I'm an educator who works with middle school children. This book was an excellent read and provided more understanding for me as I work with children. I highly recommend it to caring educators!!