Help me give my students a reading experience that is both transcendent and stunningly relevant to their lives. The book "The Leavers" by Lisa Ko touches on issues of identity, immigration, and survival.
My urban school is 70% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. It is 95% children of color. 71% of students speak a language other than English at home. We welcome immigrants from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Tonga, Samoa, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Haiti. We also have a large African-American population, and a small number of Native students.
Despite our struggles with poverty and language barriers, the school culture is one of inclusivity, tolerance, and kindness.
We set high academic standards for every child, and through wrap-around services, try to assure all needs are met. The signboard on our busy street reads: "Choose Love." We do.
My Project
When I read "The Leavers" by Lisa Ko, I had an overwhelming desire to share it with my own son, and with my students. It is beautiful literature that is so current and painfully relevant. An undocumented mother is deported without an opportunity to say good-bye, leaving her son searching for security and identity. It asks so many existential questions with which teenagers wrestle. A majority of my students are 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, some undocumented, and I know that this novel will speak to them and make them feel seen. The book is written from several points of view and pedagogically helps teach the concept of multiple perspectives. I can't wait to read this book with my kids!
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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