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Acknowledgments ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ This book could not have come into being without the help of many people. First I wish to thank the co-editors of this series, Michelle Fine and Jean Maracek, and the reviewers whose names I do not know, for their astute questions that pushed my thinking and deepened my reading of school culture at Renaissance High School, and strengthened my scholarship. I also want to offer additional thanks to Michelle Fine, whose scholarly work and commitment to social justice I have long admired, and whose encouragement meant a great deal to me. Jennifer Hammer, my editor at NYU Press, was enthusiastic about this project from its inception and helped sustain it throughout its development. Despina Papazoglou Gimbel, the managing editor I worked with, paid careful attention to my writing and was infinitely patient with me. I also am deeply grateful to the students who generously trusted me with their stories and shared their profound knowledge about schooling and their lives. I am indebted to all the students at Renaissance, many of whom I had the honor of teaching, for what they conveyed to me about urban youth, identity, and justice. Also, this project could never have been undertaken without the support of the principal of Renaissance and its teachers, the colleagues who shared my quest for a deeper understanding of our school and its limitations, and who offered support to me in more ways than I can name. And despite their generosity and my grit, this research might not have been completed without a Fellowship from the University of Minnesota and a Goddard Fellowship from the Steinhardt School of New York University which allowed the completion of the manuscript. I also must share this accomplishment with my friends and family, who have provided me psychic and emotional support, and who have inspired me through their deep commitments to creating a more just world and viii ❙ their tireless devotion to their students. So a special thank you to my friends Lisa, Laurie, and Bill, who helped make Renaissance a special place despite everything, through their dedication, humor and creativity; I also could not have undertaken this work without the immeasurable support of my lifelong mentor and great friend, Carolyn, a strong, compassionate visionary who inspired me to become a teacher and who has been a constant anchor in sometimes stormy waters, while helping me to believe I could make a difference. To my husband, Ira, for his encouragement, wisdom, and sacrifices as I worked on this project, and for calming me, nagging me, inspiring me, and making me laugh all the time, I offer my deepest gratitude and love. My son, Paulo, offered uncountable hugs as he competed with the computer for my attention and my lap, and also helped make this book what it is. And to urban educators and students everywhere who take up the immense challenge of creating schools that live up to their democratic potential, thank you for compelling me to question the status quo, to imagine what might be, and to embrace the future full of hope. ...

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