Central Park East and Its Graduates: Learning by Heart

by Bensman, David

• ISBN13: 9780807739938
• ISBN10: 0807739936
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr

Summary

In 1974, Central Park East Elementary School (CPE) in East Harlem opened its doors with a mission to provide inner-city children with the finest educators and pedagogy available. Instead of saying that the old neighborhood had to be torn down and students more rigidly tracked, the reformers dared to ask the question, What would happen if we gave inner-city students the best education the country has to offer? The results of this bottom-up reform were astounding, and to this day, Central Park East is known as one of the most academically enriching schools in the United States. David Bensman gives voice to the extraordinary young adults who emerged from poverty as a result of the powerful educational experiences they received at CPE. A rich compilation of stories, this account establishes the power of public schooling and the value of community.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Deborah Meier
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	1	(1)
History of the Project	2	(5)
Overview of Book	7	(3)
Searching for Meaning in the Survey Data	10	(11)
Did CPE Cream Its Student Body?	10	(6)
Comparing the Graduates	16	(2)
Transition to Secondary School	18	(2)
Conclusion	20	(1)
Individual Pathways to Learning	21	(29)
An Integrated and Thematic Curriculum	23	(7)
Making and Expressing Meaning Through Art	30	(7)
Guiding and Encouraging Students	37	(9)
Opposing Viewpoints	46	(2)
Conclusion	48	(2)
Pathways to Emotional and Social Growth	50	(26)
``Like a Family''	51	(8)
Self-Esteem	59	(6)
Getting Along with People	65	(7)
Conclusion	72	(1)
Note---The Teenage Pregnancy Issue	73	(3)
Racial Dimensions of a Learning Community	76	(16)
Relationships	77	(7)
Cultural Identity	84	(6)
Conclusion	90	(2)
``We Bought the Dream'': The Parent-School Partnership at Central Park East	92	(16)
Dissenters	92	(1)
CPE's Appeal to Parents	93	(5)
Parent Participation in School Activities	98	(3)
CPE's Impact on Parents	101	(2)
Conclusion	103	(5)
``And Then They Will Become Gifted'': CPE Graduates Look to the Future	108	(11)
Lola Johnson	108	(1)
Marla Baker	109	(1)
Stephanie Gonzalez	110	(4)
Jimmy O'Rourke	114	(1)
Valerie Sanchez	115	(1)
Jasmine Stevens	116	(3)
Creating a Learning Community	119	(10)
Graduates Explain the School's Success	120	(1)
Creating Pathways to Learning	121	(2)
Process of Creating a Learning Community	123	(3)
Path to Educational Reform	126	(3)
Afterword, by Alice Seletsky	129	(10)
Appendix A: New York City Elementary Public School Students as a Comparison Group	139	(3)
Appendix B: Alice Seletsky's Reports on Valerie Sanchez	142	(5)
Bibliography	147	(4)
Index	151	(4)
About the Author	155