My students need 30 copies of "A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison" to be read as part of their law class project on juvenile justice.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Brandt's classroom raised $762
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Jamal said “The cops just be waiting to stop me & send me to prison just like everyone else in my neighborhood.” We were discussing search & seizure in my law class. It was’t the first time I’d heard comments like this. Adolescent hyperbole perhaps – but each time, it saddens me. For some of my students, this is their expectation for themselves.
I teach Law to juniors & seniors in a diverse urban public high school - a mosaic of ethnic and socioeconomic groups and languages. More than 50% of our students are eligible for free or reduced-rate lunch. Many of my students come from single-parent homes, crime-ridden neighborhoods, or dysfunctional family situations.
My students NEED inspiration to have aspirations! My daily challenge is to teach about the law and to inspire students to see beyond their small worlds & to change the obstacles that poverty, racism, family problems & low expectations place in their way.
A recent series of violent incidents involving teens in our city, had my students upset. They voiced their frustration at the violence in their neighborhoods and the hopeless feeling it gave them. They live the headlines decrying violence among students and they want to effect change – they just don’t know how.
So when I heard an interview with R. Dwayne Betts on P.B.S. recently, I immediately read his book. His is a compelling story of a 16-year old African-American college-bound, honors student who had never been in trouble with the law. One very poor choice landed him in adult prison for eight years. It is an inspiring story not just of mistakes made and prices paid but of survival, achievement and action. Betts managed, in spite of the odds, to rise above his circumstances and create a positive life for himself. I was hooked and I committed myself to finding a way to introduce him to my students.
I teach a unit on juvenile justice in my Law class. They read the text with dry stories about how the juvenile justice system works. They learn the statistics about high recidivism among juveniles and the trend toward trying juveniles as adults.
I am always looking for enrichment materials to get outside the textbook. This book is just the kind of resource I need for my law students. Mr. Betts’ story is a cautionary tale about the criminal justice system that can provoke thoughtful discussion on ways the system can be improved and the impact of poor choices. The themes are universal – choices, personal responsibility and accountability, fairness, resilience, humility and justice.
Mr. Betts is a striking example of how a teenager not only survived but turned eight years in prison into a transformative learning experience.
Your support for the purchase of these books will do much to inspire and perhaps, transform my students. Your funding will not only provide my students with an opportunity to examine the juvenile justice system from a human perspective but also will help them reflect on their choices and goals. How often do you have an opportunity to do that?
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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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Brandt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
