Today I’m posting an excerpt from my novel, Chain Gang Elementary, that deals with issues of race and testing.

Chain Gang Elementary storyline: After a murder at Bonaire Elementary, Richard and Anna Lee Gray seek a good school for their son Nick in a safe neighborhood. Their search leads them to Malliford, a [...]

Share
Continue Reading

When people know an author, they often try to guess who his characters “really are.” Chain Gang Elementary is no exception. I hear it all the time from people around DeKalb County and Atlanta, who figured I plucked the characters for my troubled school from my troubled community. Well, not so much, really. (Although [...]

Share
Continue Reading

In her most recent post, Maureen Downey poses the question in her Get Schooled blog: Tracking students by abilities–good or bad?

There are politics–and market forces–to tracking. How do you keep high-achieving students (and their volunteer parents) in a public system without tracking?

Money quote:

“A recognition of the negative effects of tracking [...]

Share
Continue Reading

It’s about to get real in pre-K

On June 13, 2013 By

 

From Associated Press:

For the first time, America’s racial and ethnic minorities now make up about half of the under-5 age group, the government said Thursday. It’s a historic shift that shows how young people are at the forefront of sweeping changes by race and class.

The new census estimates, a snapshot [...]

Share
Continue Reading

This one’s local, from Atlanta. We’ve been following it for a while.  Here’s the latest update, from Neighbor Newspapers:

Former E.Rivers Elementary School PTA member Maryam Arjomand took a negotiated  plea last week and was sentenced to 10 years to serve 90 days in jail.

Last year, she was arrested and charged with a felony [...]

Share
Continue Reading

From Newsroom America:

(Newsroom America) — Nouel Alba, 37, of Bronx, New York, has pleaded guilty to engaging in a fraudulent fundraising scheme related to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting tragedy and lying to FBI agents investigating her conduct.

According to court documents, shortly after the shooting that claimed 26 lives at Sandy [...]

Share
Continue Reading

Chain Gang Elementary is on sale now! The Kindle version is only $2.99 — that’s $3 off the regular price!

In recognition of all the testing scandals going on, I offer you this brief excerpt from my novel, Chain Gang Elementary. As you’ll see, Malliford Elementary has its own testing issues, which, in the ened, will lead to a scandal [...]

Share
Continue Reading

Story Cartel: Join over 5,500 book lovers and get notifications about free books and other cool stuff sent straight to your inbox.  Here’s the link

Of course, you can also go straight to the Chain Gang Elementary page and sign up to get a review copy of it there.

Or [...]

Share
Continue Reading