Radical Possibilities

<p>The core argument of Jean Anyon’s classic <em>Radical Possibilities</em> is deceptively simple: if we do not direct our attention to the ways in which federal and metropolitan policies maintain the poverty that plagues communities in American cities, urban school reform as currently conceived is doomed to fail. With every chapter thoroughly revised and updated, this edition picks up where the 2005 publication left off, including a completely new chapter detailing how three decades of political decisions leading up to the “Great Recession” produced an economic crisis of epic proportions. By tracing the root causes of the financial crisis, Anyon effectively demonstrates the concrete effects of economic decision-making on the education sector, revealing in particular the disastrous impacts of these policies on black and Latino communities. </p><p>Going beyond lament, <em>Radical Possibilities</em> offers those interested in a better future for the millions of America’s poor families a set of practical and theoretical insights. Expanding on her paradigm for combating educational injustice, Anyon discusses the Occupy Wall Street movement as a recent example of popular resistance in this new edition, set against a larger framework of civil rights history. A ringing call to action, <em>Radical Possibilities</em> reminds readers that throughout U.S. history, equitable public policies have typically been created as a result of the political pressure brought to bear by social movements. Ultimately, Anyon’s revelations teach us that the current moment contains its own very real radical possibilities.</p> <p>Introduction <br>Part ONE – The Great Recession<br>Chapter One – Financialization, Economic Disaster, and an Alternative <br>Part TWO – Federal Policies that Maintain Poverty <br>Chapter Two - The Economic is Political <br>Chapter Three – Federal Policies that Keep People Poor<br>Chapter Four – Income, Wealth, and Taxes<br>Chapter Five – New Hope for Urban Students <br>Part THREE – Metro Area Inequities<br>Chapter Six – Metro Areas and the Regional Geography of Poverty: Job and Public Transit Mismatches<br>Chapter Seven – Housing Reform as Education Reform<br>Chapter Eight - Regional and Local Challenges to Inequity<br>Part FOUR - Social Movements, New Public Policy, and Urban Educational Reform<br>Chapter Nine – How do People Become Involved in Political Contention? <br>Chapter Ten – Building a Social Movement<br>Chapter eEeven – Putting Educators at the Center of a Social Movement for Economic and Educational Justice</p>