Cracks in the Schoolyard—Confronting Latino Educational Inequality

In Cracks in the Schoolyard, Conchas challenges deficit models of schooling and turns school failure on its head. Going beyond presenting critical case studies of social inequality and education, this book features achievement cases that depict Latinos as active actors—not hopeless victims— in the quest for social and economic mobility. Chapters examine the ways in which college students, high school youth, English language learners, immigrant Latino parents, queer homeless youth, the children of Mexican undocumented immigrants, and undocumented immigrant youth all work in local settings to improve their quality of life and advocate for their families and communities. Taken together, these counternarratives will help educators and policymakers fill the cracks in the schoolyard that often create disparity and failure for youth and young adults.

This powerful book examines:

• The processes that operate within and outside of school to push students out and keep them from thriving academically and socially.
• The patterns that exist among individuals—students, teachers, parents, and other caring adults—to resist failure and construct for school success.
• The role of case study methods in illuminating power, inequality, and success in education.

Gilberto Q. Conchas is professor of educational policy and social context at the School of Education, University of California, Irvine. His books with TC Press include Streetsmart Schoolsmart: Urban Poverty and the Education of Adolescent Boys and The Color of Success: Race and High-Achieving Urban Youth.

"How refreshing it is to pick up an edited volume that makes no apologies for featuring the work of Latina/o scholars." —Journal of Latinos and Education

"Highly recommended. For all academic collections, education professionals and administrators, and community leaders."

—Choice

“Cracks in the Schoolyard provides powerful accounts of the ways in which Latino students achieve in spite of formidable obstacles.”
--From the foreword Amanda Datnow, associate dean of social sciences and professor of education, University of California, San Diego.

"Conchas has provided readers with an important gift: authentic stories, authentic struggles, authentic strategies, and authentic success. This work debunks the deficit discourse around Latina/o education with a complex analysis of how race, community strengths, and identity become assets for educational excellence. The cases presented are rich, powerful, compelling, and inspiring. Essential reading for social justice advocates!"
—Tyrone Howard, professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles and author of Why Race and Culture in Matters in Schools

“Conchas’ provocative and compelling case studies in education position him once again as a leading voice in challenging commonsense notions of Latino school failure.”
—Kris D. Gutiérrez, professor of education, University of California, Berkeley

“Latinas/os compromise the country’s largest ethnic minority group and school-age youth are the fasted growing sector of this dynamic population. In Cracks in the Schoolyard, Conchas and his colleagues provide educators, policymakers, community based organizations, and philanthropy a compelling lens on the challenges we face—and must address--in improving the academic and social outcomes for Latina/o youth.”
—Peter Rivera, senior program officer, California Community Foundation

“Cracks in the Schoolyard convenes a dynamic group of scholars committed to transforming our schools. Using the latest theories and methodological approaches, it offers crucial frameworks to understanding Latinas/os and schooling. Together, the action-oriented chapters, innovative analyses of multiple schooling contexts, and timely research make this volume uniquely educational and inspirational. It’s a must-read book, especially for practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers.”
—Gilda L. Ochoa, Professor of Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies at Pomona College and author of Academic Profiling: Latinos, Asian Americans and the Achievement Gap.

“Through rich, detailed, and rigorous case studies, Conchas and his contributors highlight numerous locations of Latino youth agency and success within diverse educational contexts. This is a must-read volume for anyone interested in finding ways to address the deeply-rooted inequalities that exists in America's educational system.”
—Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Chancellor's Professor of education and political science, University of California, Berkeley and author of Latino Politics.

"In this groundbreaking volume Conchas ushers in a new paradigm for understanding Latin@ student achievement. The authors in this volume collaboratively and compellingly demonstrate the importance of understanding Latin@ educational achievement by analyzing assets and agency in the lives of youths and their families. This volume provides educators, policymakers, and scholars the critical hope and pragmatic agenda for developing a more just educational system—the authors cogently teach us to identify and understand the plethora of contributions that Latin@ students make to our educational system on a day-to-day basis."
—Victor M. Rios, professor of sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara

"Highly recommended. For all academic collections, education professionals and administrators, and community leaders."
—D. L. Norland, Luther College

2016 Choice Outstanding Academic Title