This critical analysis looks at the disproportionate number of African American males in special education. Arguing that the problem is race and gender driven, questions covered include Why does Europe send more females to special education? Why does America lead the world in giving children Ritalin? Is there a relationship between sugar, Ritalin, and cocaine? and Is there a relationship between special education and prison? More than 100 strategies to help teachers and parents keep black boys in the regular classroom, such as revising teacher expectations, increasing parental involvement, changing teaching styles from a left-brain abstract approach to a right-brain hands-on approach, redoing the curriculum, understanding the impact of mass media, and fostering healthy eating habits.

This compelling look at the relationship between the majority of African American students and their teachers provides answers and solutions to the hard-hitting questions facing education in today's black and mixed-race communities. Are teachers prepared by their college education departments to teach African American children? Are schools designed for middle-class children and, if so, what are the implications for the 50 percent of African Americans who live below the poverty line? Is the major issue between teachers and students class or racial difference? Why do some of the lowest test scores come from classrooms where black educators are teaching black students? How can parents negotiate with schools to prevent having their children placed in special education programs? Also included are teaching techniques and a list of exemplary schools that are successfully educating African Americans.

Addressing the many unique academic challenges that face black males--from low self-esteem, absenteeism, fatherlessness, and gangs to not accepting middle-class values, the impact of hip-hop culture, and drugs--this book provides answers and hope to teachers and the afflicted students and their families. With more than 75 solutions for educators to implement in their schools, including mentoring programs, rites of passage, internships, motivational speeches, counseling, and cooperative learning, this helpful resource shows how issues of retention, illiteracy, special education, and dropping out are simply symptoms of a much larger disease, and, if left unaddressed, will continue to stunt the education of black students.

Vol. 2- published by African American Images.

With an emphasis on pragmatic approaches that can be accomplished in the classroom, this almanac of teaching solutions provides inner-city educators with 100 all-new strategies to daily challenges. As turnover rates remain excessively high among teachers in urban schools the type of firsthand experience offered by this helpful manual continues to be an essential source of training. The advice and expertise presented is fully supported by real-life examples rather than intangible theory, and the details directly tackle issues of race and class while offering a legitimate criticism of the American school system that poses many of the problems that teachers face.

A Black mother bumps up against the limits of everything she thought she believed—about science and medicine, about motherhood, and about her faith—in search of the truth about her son. "The memoir dedicates important space to the numbing bureaucracy that often accompanies medical visits, particularly as seen through the eyes of a Black woman in the South. Having moved often within White neighborhoods and educational institutions around her home in Charlottesville, Harris is unflinching about her periodic unease in those quarters. . . Harris also brings humor to bear in moments of great adversity."—Karen Iris Tucker, Washington Post One morning, Tophs, Taylor Harris’s round-cheeked, lively twenty-two-month-old, wakes up listless, only lifting his head to gulp down water. She rushes Tophs to the doctor, ignoring the part of herself, trained by years of therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, that tries to whisper that she’s overreacting. But at the hospital, her maternal instincts are confirmed: something is wrong with her boy, and Taylor’s life will never be the same. With every question the doctors answer about Tophs’s increasingly troubling symptoms, more arise, and Taylor dives into the search for a diagnosis. She spends countless hours trying to navigate health and education systems that can be hostile to Black mothers and children; at night she googles, prays, and interrogates her every action. Some days, her sweet, charismatic boy seems just fine; others, he struggles to answer simple questions. A long-awaited appointment with a geneticist ultimately reveals nothing about what’s causing Tophs’s drops in blood sugar, his processing delays—but it does reveal something unexpected about Taylor’s own health. What if her son’s challenges have saved her life? This Boy We Made is a stirring and radiantly written examination of the bond between mother and child, full of hard-won insights about fighting for and finding meaning when nothing goes as expected.

The Nelson Beats the Odds: Compendium One gives readers a chance to experience Nelson Beats the Odds and Tameka's New Dress in one thrilling graphic novel. The compendium presents real tips for real life situations and is a great addition to library shelves. Nelson Beats the Odds features Nelson, a young man who used to think school was all about playing and talking with his friends. When Nelson learns that he's been diagnosed as having a learning disability and ADHD, he is placed in special education and separated from his friends. Out of fear of being ridiculed and teased by classmates, Nelson attempts to keep his disability and struggles with learning a secret. With the encouragement of his parents and assistance from Mrs. T., his special education teacher, Nelson succeeds academically and reaches his full potential. Tameka's New Dress presents sensitive issues, including childhood trauma, parental substance abuse, kinship care, and bullying in a way that's gentle and suitable for children of all ages. In Tameka's New Dress, a gifted middle school student faces the challenges and fears of being the new kid at school while dealing with the harsh reality of living in an abusive home. Throughout the short story, Tameka receives the encouragement she needs from her caregiver and other adults in the community to fight off the school's bully without using violence.