Star Teachers of Children in Poverty.

Star Teachers of Children in Poverty, by Martin Haberman. West Lafayette, IN: Kappa Delta Pi, 1995. 100 pp. 15. 00, paper. Reviewed by Frances Y. Lowden, Indiana State University. Throughout this book, Martin Haberman, himself renowned scholar, teacher, and policymaker, unabashedly supports concept he calls Haberman states that 5% to So/a of teachers in the U. S. meet the following criteria: (a) their students score higher on standardized tests; (b) parents, children, and school principals rate them highly; (c) other teachers regard them as outstanding; (d) school district administrators consider them successful; (e) cooperating universities regard them as superior; and (f) they evaluate themselves as outstanding teachers. Star teachers are not deterred by the professional and emotional demands placed upon them by students, parents, and administrators; rather, they share Haberman's philosophy that life's greatest gift is the opportunity to throw oneself into job that puts meaning into the lives of other people (p. xii). Having such teachers in the lives of poor urban children, he maintains, is a matter of life and death (p. 1). Haberman's star teachers personify warmth, fairness, and discipline. They understand that their role is to teach; love and compassion are not enough. Teachers Haberman designates as failures blame academic underachievement on students' backgrounds, home context, and perceived personal shortcomings rather than recognizing their responsibility to provide safe, risk-free environment for students to learn. Haberman also contends that pejorative terms such as culturally deprived, academically disadvantaged, difficult to serve, hard to reach, alienated, and host of others-including the currently popular at risk-have hampered teachers' attempts to reach and teach all children. According to Haberman, these terms are labels used for the same purpose: to attribute the causes of low achievement and school failure to the child and family, but in manner that implies the labeler is not prejudiced and is sincerely trying to help. As he steadfastly maintains, there is no way to provide an equitable education to child one perceives and labels as basically inadequate. The book is divided into four chapters, the first of which, What Star Teachers Don't Do, discusses issues of parent bashing, discipline, homework, assessment, reinforcements, and time-on-task. Time-on-task, in Haberman s view, is not separate and discrete function but is best measured through engagement in collaborative projects where time spent is based on students' involvement and interest. …