Bloomsbury Creating Caring and Nurturing Educational Environments for African American Children

The history of the education of African American children in one Alabama town is reconstructed over a period of 100 years, from the First Reconstruction period to the Second Reconstruction period (Governor George Wallace's stand in the schoolhouse door). Lessons learned from this case study, in addition to 15 years of desegregated education in the community, provides a perspective for educational policymakers to consider, as they attempt to plan effective schools in the 21st century for all children in America. Many have viewed segregated schools for African American students as dens of educational pathology with poor teachers and administrators, poorly operated academic programs and activities, dilapidated school buildings, and scarce resources. Until the last two decades, little had been written about the internal functioning of these schools or the positive impact of their efforts from the perspective of their students, families, teachers, or administrators. Despite being underfunded, understaffed, and issued second-hand books and equipment, this school and community worked together, as did many other African American schools and communities, to create effective schooling for children. This study addresses four major questions: (1) What kinds of educational experiences did teachers and principals view as important for the successful education of African American children? (2) How did the school interact with parents and the community? (3) How did the educational environment change when African American children began attending desegregated schools? (4) What can we learn from this successful school for African American children as well as their experiences in the desegregated setting that will provide a perspective for educational policymakers as we plan effective schools for all children in this country? The findings from this case study present a perspective on which educational policymakers can build as we plan caring, nurturing, and equitable learning environments for children in schools in all communities. Review "[Morris and Morris] provide a view of African American history that has been neglected in current and past educational literature.... It is a testament to not only the dedicated educators at Trenholm High School, but to the thousands of similar educators throughout the South.... [This book] should be required reading for all aspiring educators. It offers a unique insight into effective strategies for successfully motivating and challenging not just African American students, but all students."-Julie B. Williams Executive Principal, Hunters Lane High School Nashville, Tennessee "[Their] work shows intense and persistent research efforts.... How great to put such authentic history into the hands of today's young people who aspire to create caring and nurturing educational environments for all of our children!"-Barbara J. Anthony Retired Associate Professor of Education Alabama A&M University Normal, Alabama "A good read, this history of the Trenholm High School in Tuscumbia, Alabama--home town of Helen Keller--is clearly organized with summaries and findings that reconstruct the living organism of one successful Black school.... At long last, a book that asks how did the healthy get that way' instead of a treatise on failure in the schools.... It adds to the body of knowledge supporting separate schools for African American children at a time when Charter Schools and Institutes for Black youth abound."-Mildred Lane Berg Professor, Early Childhood Education Community College of Philadelphia "The authors are to be commended for the extensive time consuming research, a history that is extremely valuable to today's educators and community leaders, the related experiences which are expressions of a great culture that still exists, the descriptions of dedicated leaders who are perfect role models for today's leaders, the well told experience of the perservering but harmonious desegregati