Customer Reviews (1)

The story of the American colony of religious tolerance
I always think of Rhode Island as the first of the second-generation of American colonies.Every American history textbook dutifully explains about the first permanent establishments in the United States at Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay.As often as not, the history books will also explain how Roger Williams, who immigrated with his family to Massachusetts Bay fled from the colony five years later when facing deportation for his views.Williams founded a settlement at the head of Narragansett Bay and named it Providence.Eventually with the settlement of Portsmouth founded by Anne Hutchinson's group and William Coddington's group at Newport there was the creation of another English colony in New England.However, the lesson that the Puritans, who fled religious persecution in England, failed to practice what they preached in the New World was rather obvious and made an impression as did the unique identity of Rhode Island in colonial history.

Andrew A. Kling's book on "Rhode Island" for "The Thirteen Colonies" series is another outstanding look at one of the "lesser" colonies that get brief mention in your standard American history textbook.The introduction establishes how "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" was founded by the desire for political and religious freedom, before providing the standard five chapters for this series: (1) Beginnings covers both the discovery of the region by European explorers as well as the native tribes who were living there when Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson established settlements; (2) A "Lively Experiment" details the various charters that governed the colony and the conflict known as King Philip's War between the settlers and the Wampanoag and Narragnsett tribes; (3) Daily Life in the Growing Colony covers how education was often linked to religious doctrine in Rhode island, seasonal chores, and the colony's role in the Triangle Trade; (4) First in Freedom: Rhode Island and the Revolution starts with the general colonial reaction to the Sugar Act and then discusses what specifically happened in the colony, such as the "Gaspee" Incident, General Nathan Greene who hailed from the colony, and the Battle of Rhode Island; and (5) To Ratify or Not to Ratify? begins with the debate over becoming a state and the changes in the Rhode Island economy.

Kling ends the book in the same spirit as it began, noting that the statue on top of the new state capitol building was the "Independent Man" representing all of the people, rather than Roger Williams, Thomas Dorr, Samuel Slater, or another major figure in the state's history.This series does an excellent job of exploring the history of each colony, working in primary and secondary source quotations, along with a time line, historic illustrations, annotated bibliographies, and an index.As always, the less you know about a particular colony from your American history textbook, the more you will pick up from these books.Of course, that seems obvious, but more importantly Kling provides a clear conception of Rhode Island as a colony distinct from all the others.For young students assigned to research Rhode Island, Roger Williams, or other subjects associated with the colony, this book is the ideal place to start. ... Read more

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This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Gardening / Trees; Juvenile Nonfiction / Science ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Kwan Um School of Zen(KUSZ) is an international school of Zen centers and groups, founded in 1983 by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Island, which was founded in 1972 shortly after Seung Sahn first came to the United States (then in Providence). The Kwan Um style of Buddhist practice combines ritual common both to Korean Buddhism as well as Rinzai Zen, and their morning and evening services include elements of Hua-yen and Pure Land Buddhism. While the Kwan Um Zen School comes under the banner of the Jogye Order, the school has been adapted by Seung Sahn to the needs of Westerners. According to James Ishmael Ford, the Kwan Um School of Zen is the largest Zen school in the Western world. ... Read more

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Island Nations brings together artists from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, where complex and vital contemporary cultures have given rise to some of the most dynamic work being made today. The three countries are different yet intimately bound by many circumstances including, in particular, a history of exodus that has resulted in widespread flourishing of émigré communities. Island Nations addresses the importance of these dispersals by including works by Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican artists living and working in the United States as well as those who currently reside in their homelands. Works from The RISD Museum’s important Nancy Sayles Day Collection of Modern Latin American Art are also represented. Essays by René Morales and Judith Tannenbaum. ... Read more

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This work weaves compelling stories and narrative into new possibilities for American education. All students at the Met School have a personalized curriculum, where they stay with the same teacher for four years. This work offers ideas and strategies for improving schools. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Book!
Any one interested in creating an education system that is child centered, flexible and interesting should read this book.
The Met, a public highschool in Providence, RI., is the focus of a 2 year study by the author that culminated in this book.This is a special place where real learning takes place and children are valued for their interests and their individualism.
It almost makes me want to go back to highschool or atleast move to Providence so that my children can go there.Thank you to the author, eliot Levine, and to everyone associated at the Met for being brave enough to go against the tide and create a school that will hopefully be the model for all schools in the future. ... Read more

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This is the story of struggle and weary triumphof one school's battle against the alarming drop-out rates that persist in our urban and inner-city schools. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inner City Education Reality
If you want an inside view of what it is like teaching at an inner city school, "Against the Current" will do it for you.The amazing part about this book is that the director of the program is a quadriplegic.I thought John Hockenberry's book, "No Highway" demonstrated a paraplegic with grit-The Urban Coolaborative Program director, Rob DeBlois, is an amazing individual and educator.As a 25 year middle school educator, I had a difficult time grasping the background of the middel school kids DeBlois and his staff had to deal with.If you want to learn about true poverty, Providence city schools and stellar educators, pick up "Against the Current." ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Cities of the United States, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 505 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Provides a wide range of hard-to-locate data to answer questions concerning American cities. Includes thorough coverage of the area's largest or fastest-growing cities, or those with a particular historical, political, industrial or commercial significance. ... Read more

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During and after his term as interim Central Falls superintendent in 2006-2007, Bill Holland sought answers to why some Central Falls High School students had school success while over half of their classmates failed to graduate. Much can be learned from how these students survived in a chronically low-achieving school located in the poorest community in the state. Holland provides behind-the-scenes details on the issues of poverty, ineffective teaching, and cultural differences while also advising students, parents, and teachers on ways to gain greater educational success. Before the book was completed, a federal and state mandate unexpectedly resulted in the superintendent having to adopt a turn-around model and fire the entire high school faculty and staff-an action that set off a firestorm between the school and state leadership and the American Federation of Teachers. The conflict made national headlines and was mentioned by President Obama as a prime example of a _last resort_ approach in reforming failing inner-city schools. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Crucial Read
A Crucial Read

Although this book's title "A School in Trouble:A Personal Story of Central Falls High School" suggests that its contents will germane to the people of Central Falls RI only, it could almost have been named "America's Schools in Trouble" because the major problems in education are universal.Added to these universalities are the unique difficulties each school/system faces and Central Falls has more than its share.

In this book, Holland deftly handles the complexities one confronts when trying to prevent a school from failing.He reminds us that the problems in education are multi-faceted and must be acknowledged and dealt with appropriately and that complex problems cannot be solved with simplistic solutions.Fire all the teachers?Eliminate the unions?Hopefully, no one is naive enough to believe that doing either of those things will be a panacea for the legion of ills that exist.Blame poverty, budget constraints, the parents, the administrators, the law, the culture, and yes, even the students themselves.These are the pieces of every "broken" school.Holland discusses each of these topics specifically in relation to Central Falls and then to education in general.For someone who has "been there" and "done that" his tone is neither hostile nor defensive.He attempts to provide a fair assessment of the Central Falls situation despite the fact that some of his own work as Interim Superintendent has been derailed by U.S. Department of Education reform directives.The bulk of the text seems to indicate that education's light is dim in Central Falls as it is in many of the nation's schools; but at the end of the book and in a positive vein, Holland highlights some Central Falls students whose success stories are quite amazing and well worth our contemplation.

Every person interested in education needs to read this book and that, of course, should be everyone.Kudos to William Holland, for a sensitive, refreshingly realistic, well-written, easy read on an incredibly complex topic.

A Great Quick Read
Having read Bill Holland's, "A School in Trouble", it is not surprising that some Central Falls High School teachers would critize him for his support of Superintendent Fran Gallo and his mention that a number of mediocre teachers should be replaced if the school is to advance. After last spring's nationally publicized and ugly dispute between the teachers' union and the school administration, it is understandable that a certain degree of teacher bitterness and defensiveness still remains.
This criticism is unfortunate because the book is fascinating especially the compelling stories of four past graduates who beat the odds with the support of some exceptional teachers and parents. There is nothing fictional about those inspiring accounts or the chapters that chronicle numerous attempts at school reform during the past four years.
The truth must truly hurt when Holland writes, "The high school has to be more than a culture of caring. Where such a culture dominates, neither teachers or students are challenged to improve nor are they held to high expectations." This statement is not aimed at all high school teachers, but it pertains to quite a few. When over 50% of a class doesn't graduate and this begins a trend that is not reversed, it's good that Holland hss the "chutzpah" to call it like it is. Agree or disagree, teachers, parents, and students whether Latino or any ethnicity will find this special book provocative and most informative.

A School in Trouble: Based on the True Story of Central Falls High School.

Rocky Balboa actually beating Ivan Drago in Rocky IV is more believable than the events portrayed in this book. Too bad because I really like Bill.

Great entertaining fictional piece for anyone who works in the district.

A Must-Read for Educators!
In his latest book, William Holland writes a refreshingly honest perspective of his observations and experiences as Interim Superintendent of the Central Falls School District. His passionate approach highlights the successes, failures, frustrations, obstacles to reform, key people involved, and a strong desire of so many to overcome years of upheaval, mainly at Central Falls High School.As one would expect from a seasoned and highly competent educator with an enormous amount of experience and knowledge at all levels of education, Dr. Holland formulates astute conclusions and practical, realistic, and compassionate solutions.He does so without any sugar-coating or bashing of any issue or person involved, while at the same time, clearly lets the reader know something must be done...soon!
The author's sensitive summaries of his interviews with students and parents are noteworthy; and, his comments about leadership, teacher effectiveness, parental involvement, and students' responsibilities for their own education reflect Dr. Holland's ability to capture the essence of this wonderfully unique inner city school. He does so in only 112 pages, making it an easy read, yet full of depth, authenticity, and hope...just like the one-mile square city and school district it describes. It's a must-read for anyone involved in education or community service!

Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative...
Brief Synopsis: Case history of problems that plague urban school districts, profiling the case history of the Central Falls, RI, urban school district. Highlights four students that graduated and offers some suggestions as why they succeeded when over 50% drop out in their district. Goes into some ethnocentric challenges faced in urban school districts. Must read for teachers and anyone involved with students. Explains why role of parents' involvement in students education affects outcomes drastically. Bill is an amazing man and worth a read. Book is short and to the point, but dense with information. In the same league as "The Skillful Teacher", filling in for parts and problems often cast aside and conveniently ignored and hidden away in a box.

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Product Description
This digital document is an article from Cities of the United States, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 729 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Provides a wide range of hard-to-locate data to answer questions concerning American cities. Includes thorough coverage of the area's largest or fastest-growing cities, or those with a particular historical, political, industrial or commercial significance. ... Read more

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The lives and experiences of two teenagers from a small New England town reflect the universal attitudes, secrets, ordeals, and experiences of young people throughout an America that is very different from that of their parents. 15,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This book gives you insight to American high schools.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.I live in the same town as the high school profiled and I enjoyed reading about teachers and students I am familiar with.This book gives an indepth look into American schools.I recommend it to everyone.A must read!! ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Cities of the United States, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 843 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Provides a wide range of hard-to-locate data to answer questions concerning American cities. Includes thorough coverage of the area's largest or fastest-growing cities, or those with a particular historical, political, industrial or commercial significance. ... Read more