Jonathan Kozol on class size and where Pres. Bush went to school

Jonathan Kozol has written a new book, called “Letters to a New Teacher.” Leonard Lopate interviewed Kozol last week on WNYC.

Here is an excerpt:

Kozol: “If I wanted to really lower the achievement gap between minority and white kids in America, I wouldn’t waste time testing them to death, I wouldn’t waste time terrifying school principals and trying to run a school system under the sword of fear; I would #1 defend the high morale of the best young teachers I could hire; and #2 give them a class size which never exceeds 18 children in elementary school; or 22 children in secondary school – which is exactly what it’s like in the top suburban school systems.”

He also talked about the fact that at Andover, where President Bush went, there is a maximum of 12 students in high school classes: “If small class size and the individual attention this gives every child is good for the son of a President, then its good for the poorest child ….right here in NYC.

Download the interview here (mp3).

Buy his book here.