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| (Thank you Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!) |
about book:
A memoir and a call to action, this intimate look at America’s long-standing struggle to adequately educate vulnerable children offers valuable insights for effecting change in families, communities, and nationwide.
At the root of every important problem we face, from mass incarceration to income inequality, is an education system influenced by our nation’s fraught history. Just as past generations fought to ensure that all Americans could enjoy the right to fully participate in our democracy, so must we rally tirelessly to advance an educational agenda that promotes equity and inclusion. With the gap between white academic achievement and that of students of color widening, now is the time to turn our attention to the basics, and few would argue with the fact that the single most essential aspect of a good education is literacy. Beyond reading and writing, literacy encompasses a whole host of skills that allow us to develop our potential and succeed in society, including critical thinking, self-discipline, curiosity, leadership, and motivation. Helping all our nation’s young people, especially those who live in low-income communities, improve their literacy skills should be a top priority.
Numerous programs are operating around the country to address the issue of underperformance in light of the shortcomings of our public school system. In Forever Free, Tracy Swinton Bailey charts the journey of one such program, her nonprofit Freedom Readers. From a childhood shaped by books to a career promoting the love of reading, she describes the hurdles and rewards of academia, teaching, mobilizing, and fundraising. Bailey outlines clearly and persuasively how Freedom Readers’ one-to-one tutoring model has worked in the rural South, and how it can work across the US. This book will inspire and empower readers, and should be placed in the hands of educators and organizers at every level.
my thoughts:
Readers, book lovers, bookworms, whatever you want to be called, this book is for you. Forever Free is all about the importance of reading. Tracy Swinton Bailey focuses on education, specifically literacy and the ways in which schools miss the mark completely when it comes to children of color, children of lower socio-economic backgrounds, etc.. We are talking about a subject that plays a vital role in our children's education. Fortunately, this book provides us with ideas, suggestions, answers, and programs that can help start the change that is desperately needed. Focusing on her own program, Freedom Readers, Tracy Swinton Bailey, shares all the details of how this one-to-one tutoring model can be implemented all across America and how it can work to help our children. Talk about empowering!
I just loved this book! The writing was top notch. Tracy Swinton Bailey uses personal anecdotes, student profiles, and history, alongside her own intellectual commentary to share about this important issue at the heart of our children's education. It makes for quite a fascinating read and look into our public school system and the solutions being created. What an awesome book!
I would wholeheartedly recommend Forever Free to anyone and everyone - this is one must-read you can't miss out on!
Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!
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