gusreads's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.25
A very interesting history of Shaker Heights, Ohio, a city that since the mid 20th century has been actively working to be a racially diverse city, in both housing and it’s schools. The second half of the book focuses on the challenges the public school district has had closing achievement gaps, but shows what gains can be made when parents and school officials support equity and are willing to make sacrifices to try and achieve it.
thxalatte's review against another edition
Just lots of historical facts…really boring.
nordstina's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity is a well-researched book about the history of Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland that has a reputation for it's diversity, integration of neighborhoods, and high achieving school system. It is not a surprise that the story of Shaker Heights is more complex than that.
I first heard about Shaker Heights as the setting for a Celeste Ng novel, and the hype around the town stuck with me, so I was intrigued to read further about it. Laura Meckler wrote about Shaker Heights for the Washington Post, and she has expanded from the original story to cover the history of the town, from it's founding, the continued work around neighborhood racial integration, and the complexities around the school system.
The founding of the town and planned community, led by two interesting brothers was discussed. The original laws for the development were continued as rationale for changes moving forward, especially with regards to housing. Much of the first part of the book then pivots to desegregation. As wealthy Black families wanted to move in, there was the expected resistance. Realtors would not sell to them and often diversionary techniques were needed in order for them to be able to buy. Expectedly, white families in the neighbors started selling en masse. Heckler highlights the work of one particular neighborhood that worked to fight this reverse segregation, and the sometimes unfair tactics they had to use in order to keep the ratio of neighbors reflective of the population.
Meckler then spends much of the book focusing on the well-regarded public school system, known for its high test scores and the elite colleges and universities that its graduates attend. It should come as no surprise that the real story is more complex and nuanced. For many years, the schools tracked/leveled students and Black students made up a very small proportion of the advanced classes. Additionally, in the elementary schools, the district bused primarily minority children to schools outside their neighborhoods. Meckler highlights the changing district leadership and priorities, the systemic racism, and the push and pull of wanting to lift up and support Black students while not wanting to alienate wealthy white parents who might pull their children (and tax dollars) from the district if any opportunities are taken away. It is hard not to get disheartened, but I appreciated reading about the continued spirit and want of those in the community to achieve the ideal that the town is noted for. There are many failures, but I was moved that it is still very much a community that is a work in progress, wanting the best for all its residents. This is an in depth look at a town that highlights many issues going on in the country.
Thank you to Henry Holt & Co for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
I first heard about Shaker Heights as the setting for a Celeste Ng novel, and the hype around the town stuck with me, so I was intrigued to read further about it. Laura Meckler wrote about Shaker Heights for the Washington Post, and she has expanded from the original story to cover the history of the town, from it's founding, the continued work around neighborhood racial integration, and the complexities around the school system.
The founding of the town and planned community, led by two interesting brothers was discussed. The original laws for the development were continued as rationale for changes moving forward, especially with regards to housing. Much of the first part of the book then pivots to desegregation. As wealthy Black families wanted to move in, there was the expected resistance. Realtors would not sell to them and often diversionary techniques were needed in order for them to be able to buy. Expectedly, white families in the neighbors started selling en masse. Heckler highlights the work of one particular neighborhood that worked to fight this reverse segregation, and the sometimes unfair tactics they had to use in order to keep the ratio of neighbors reflective of the population.
Meckler then spends much of the book focusing on the well-regarded public school system, known for its high test scores and the elite colleges and universities that its graduates attend. It should come as no surprise that the real story is more complex and nuanced. For many years, the schools tracked/leveled students and Black students made up a very small proportion of the advanced classes. Additionally, in the elementary schools, the district bused primarily minority children to schools outside their neighborhoods. Meckler highlights the changing district leadership and priorities, the systemic racism, and the push and pull of wanting to lift up and support Black students while not wanting to alienate wealthy white parents who might pull their children (and tax dollars) from the district if any opportunities are taken away. It is hard not to get disheartened, but I appreciated reading about the continued spirit and want of those in the community to achieve the ideal that the town is noted for. There are many failures, but I was moved that it is still very much a community that is a work in progress, wanting the best for all its residents. This is an in depth look at a town that highlights many issues going on in the country.
Thank you to Henry Holt & Co for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
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