Book notice: Ebonics

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** New Book Announcement **

Ebonics: The Urban Education Debate (2nd Ed.)

Editors:

David Ramirez
Terrence G Wiley
Gerda de Klerk
Enid Lee
Wayne E Wright

2005, Multilingual Matters.

http://www.multilingual-matters.com/multi/display.asp?isb=1853597961&TAG=BJXA2
X5X7839X9471FQI4Z&CID=

Summary:
This collection of papers, comments, and documents traces the distant and
recent history of the Ebonics debate in the USA. The book examines how,
despite increasing access to public education over the past century, schools
continue to impose language standards and expectations on children that
methodically privileges some, while disadvantaging others.

>>From the Back Cover:

Controversy erupted in the 1996 when the Oakland Unified School District's
Ebonics Resolution proposed an approach to teaching Standard English that
recognized the variety of English spoken by African American students. With
new demands for accountability driven by the No Child Left Behind policy and
its emphasis on high-stakes testing in Standard English, this debate will no
doubt rise again. This book seeks to better inform this next episode.

In Part 1, leading scholars place the debate within its historical and
contemporary context, provide clear explanations of what Ebonics is and is
not, and offer practical approaches schools can and should follow  to
address the linguistic needs of African American students. Part 2 provides
original documents that accompanied the debate, including the original
resolutions, legislation, organization position papers, and
commentary/analyses from leading linguists. This book is written for all
those whose work impacts the lives of Ebonics speakers in our public schools.