Teaching in the Terrordome: Two Years in West Baltimore with Teach for America

Title Page, Copyright Page

“Lanier is a fine writer with a refreshingly realistic story to tell. Few lives are saved and no achievement gaps are wiped out during her two years at a very bad Baltimore high school, but you get a vivid sense of what is wrong with the culture and organization of such places, and how much it will take to make them better. This book is, among other things, a great gift for a new teacher.”—Jay Mathews, Washington Post columnist and author of Work Hard. Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America “What shall happen to us with our hope? Teaching in the Terrordome tackles the hardest possible questions, not only for educators, but for anyone who treads the line between optimism and the gritty reality of our age. Heather Kirn Lanier’s memoir is both compelling and wise.”—Stephen Kuusisto, author of Planet of the Blind “I loved Teaching in the Terrordome. It’s a heart-wrenching, sometimes humorous, and much needed account of what it’s like to be a new teacher—one with smarts, courage, compassion and still—totally unprepared! Who could be prepared? I couldn’t put it down.”—Deborah Meier, senior scholar at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University and co-author of Playing for Keeps “Heather Kirn Lanier’s insightful analysis of her experience as a new teacher provides readers with a unique vantage point for understanding what is wrong with American education. Her example shows us that it will take more than a few dedicated, young Teach For America corp members to save America’s schools. In fact, this myth is perpetuating the mistaken notion that all we need to do is fire the “bad teachers” and shut down the “bad schools” to solve the education dilemma. Lanier shows us that the problems are far more complex, and she makes it clear that hard work and good intentions can never make up for failed policies and weak leadership at the state and federal level. Clear, well-written, candid and occasionally funny, this book is a must read for those who want to understand many of the problems facing urban schools and are willing to honestly consider what we must do to address them.”— Pedro A. Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education, New York University and author of The Trouble With Black Boys and Other Reflections on Race, Equity and the Future of Public Education Teaching in the Terrordome Teaching in the Terrordome Two Years in West Baltimore with Teach For America Heather Kirn Lanier University of Missouri Press Columbia and London Copyright © 2012 by The Curators of the University of Missouri University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri 65201 Printed and bound in the United States of America All rights reserved 5 4 3 2 1 16 15 14 13 12 Cataloging-in-Publication data available from the Library of Congress ISBN 978-0-8262-1986-2 This paper meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, Z39.48, 1984. Jacket design: Susan Ferber Text design: Stephanie Foley Typesetting: FoleyDesign Printing and binding: Thomson-Shore, Inc. Typefaces: Palatino and Reprise For the students, and for their teachers. ...