The School I Deserve: Six Young Refugees and Their Fight for Equality in America

by Jo Napolitano

The untold story of a group young refugees who fought and won a key civil rights battle guaranteeing their right to an equal education

The School I Deserve brings to life the civil rights battle being waged across the country on behalf of immigrant children as they struggle for an education inside an increasingly xenophobic nation. Journalist Jo Napolitano shines a light on recent federal lawsuits filed to protect these children from discrimination, focusing on a southern Pennsylvania case fought in the summer of 2016 against the backdrop of Trump's election. In that instance, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the School District of Lancaster for refusing to admit older, non-English speaking refugees or for sending them to a high-discipline alternative school meant for troubled youth.

One of the would-be students is 18-year-old Sudanese teen, Khadidja, who was told that she was too old to enroll even though state law permitted all students to attend until at least age 21. The teen pushed back and was eventually admitted to Phoenix Academy---a for-profit alternative school where youth where students were subjected to random searches and daily pat-downs.

Napolitano follows Khadidja as she weathers her initial rejection from the school district, undergoes the disappointment of Phoenix Academy and reluctantly decides to join the ACLU's lawsuit. The fiery week-long showdown between the ACLU and the school district was decided by a conservative Republican judge who, to everyone's surprise, ruled in favor of the refugees. His decision, upheld months later in federal appellate court, forever changed the Lancaster school district's admissions policies - and set a hopeful precedent for young immigrants and refugees all over the country.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Teaching, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Natalie Cardon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very glad to be educated on an issue that many high school refugees face: not being allowed to attend a public high school because the school district doesn’t want its graduation statistics messed with. Instead they’re sent to an alternative high school for bad behaved kids. No, I’m not kidding. This is where potentially good intentions become accidentally bigoted and harmful. I was pretty shocked and am left to wonder whether they’re doing this in my area!! I’m glad they won their lawsuit and hearing their stories was important.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Present-day school segregation is alive and well. An important book.

[Ashley Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jo Napolitano is a tremendous writer and careful journalist who shines a light on a disturbing phenomenon - how public school districts, including Lancaster in Pennsylvania - have been denying older immigrant and refugee children the right to enroll in public school. In Lancaster, refugee children who had experienced incomprehensible traumas in their young lives before arriving in the U.S. were funneled into an alternative high school designed for kids with discipline problems that included daily extensive security checks and pat-downs. The refugee students felt lost and isolated and were placed in accelerated classes with no one there to translate. They sued for the right to attend the district's comprehensive public high school, which had many more course offerings, opportunities for English language learners and sports. Jo tells their story in a lively and compassionate way, and also gives us the back story of the attorneys on both sides. She brings us into the unusual courtroom scene, with a conservative judge who began to reveal his compassion and concern for the young plaintiffs, asking as many questions as the attorneys. The judge probed what life was like for them in Somalia, Sudan and Egypt, asking whether they had enough food to eat and why they wanted to come to the U.S. And Jo also chronicles the broader battle over immigrants and refugees playing out in the U.S. as Donald Trump campaigned for and then was elected to the presidency, all while this case was working its way through court. Meeting the young refugees and seeing the Trump administration's policies through their eyes was particularly powerful and sad.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The School I Deserve chronicles the legal journey of the ACLU fighting for a group of refugees to get a quality public school education that had been denied to them by the school district of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school district either turned them away, even though they were 21 and under, or sent to the Phoenix Academy, an alternative for-profit school with questionable practices; their concern was that the students would drag down graduation rates. The book follows the stories of Khadidja and Mahamed, two refugees who were relegated to Phoenix Academy, a school where their nonexistent English skills were not helped. The book is not only about them and their legal fight, but also explores immigration and education in modern times, from the ICE camps to Trump's policies to how schools handle, and should handle, refugee and immigrant students.

An eye-opening and informative book, highly recommended for anyone that wants to learn about inequality, immigration, and the education system.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fascinating and tragic book!

Highlighting the court case for refugee students to get the education they need and deserve in the US this book dives into their stories. The book highlights the ways that the US education system has failed many refugee students, general refugee policies, and the court case the students testified in.

I received an advanced readers copy and while the book talks about the hardships the students face and why they deserve to be educated, I was surprised how little of the stories are shared in the actual words of the students and more surprised to see the book talk about people living illegally in the US instead of living undocumented in the US.

Overall it's an interesting read about educational rights for refugees in the US.

[Melissa Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives in depth coverage of a court case between a Pennsylvania school district and the ACLU over the district’s decision to send newly arriving high school immigrants to an alternative school for students with behavioral problems. Napolitano does an excellent and balanced job of illuminating the lives and stories of these immigrants, as well as highlighting the challenges faced by the school district who heavily relies on funding. It is a peek into how the the systems created within our schools and districts can rob those that are most vulnerable of the resources they most need, a solid education. A book every educator should read! I really enjoyed learning of the different organizations that take care of these immigrants and the experiences of the six refugees chronicled in this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* This book highlights 6 refugee students within a Pennsylvania school district seeking fair access to education, in this case, admission to an excellent school with ESL coursework. Older refugee students were being shunted to a school for students with behavioral problems with an "accelerated" course of study, hurtling them towards graduation before learning any English.
While the injustice was fascinating/ disturbing to learn about and I'm glad was highlighted, the book would have benefited from a broader scope, including information on standard educational practice nationally. Too many pages were spent on the one court case to give a feel for the national situation. It did really encourage me to continue local involvement with refugee programs.

Thanks to goodreads for hosting a giveaway abs the publisher for the copy!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The School I Deserve chronicles the 2016 court battle against the Lancaster school system that won older (17+) refugees the right to go to the regular high school rather than be shunted to the last chance school for at risk youth. The writing is excellent and really guides you through the case day by day. Interspersed throughout is background on some of the refugees named in the case, as well as what was going on in the country, at the rise of Trump, related to refugees and their education (as well as increasing anti-refugee sentiment). I found it to be quite fascinating. I recommend it to anyone interested in refugee rights or curious about how life goes for refugees once they have been resettled in America.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The School I Deserve was more compelling than I expected. My expectation was an objective approach to the stories regarding refugees and their desire for an education in America. What I read was the background and complex inner working of immigration law and how it pertains to education. Though there's much more to be learned than the 192 pages allowed, I feel the better for the knowledge I've gained. Aside from the information Jo Napolitano shared, she also gave readers the captivating stories of several immigrants; their histories and their hopes. The School I Deserve is remarkable and I hope it inspires in others what it was inspired in me: the wish for education for all, especially the disenfranchised who wish to learn and to better themselves & their lives.

[Ky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Napolitano writes with warmth and empathy, and paints a vivid picture of the people involved in the case. She also does a ton of detailed reporting, providing context that helps us understand some complex issues and appreciate the sky-high stakes. She refers to her own personal experience as someone born outside the United States and then adopted by Americans, but she doesn't focus on it. She tells us only what we need to know to understand she's in all ways extremely qualified to write this book—and then she delivers a fantastic combination of reporting and storytelling.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. I learned so much about the dilemma that older refugees often face when trying to access education here in the U.S. It is apparent that the system we currently have in some regions fails these refugees terribly. This book was obviously well researched and written with a style that connected the reader with the plight of these individuals and their families. Well worth the read.

[Jess Bergeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A frustrating look at the treatment of immigrant and refugee children and their experience in America’s public school system. While different, I similarly am aware of the tendency for school systems to push through the students who are considered a “resource burden.” It is expensive to meet the additional needs of some students, but it is vitally important to ALL of our futures that children receive a quality education as priority over a diploma that does not reflect their skills.

[Terry Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good account of how one school system failed to meet the needs of its refugee and Multi-Language Learners. Though this is one specific case and the story of 6 students fight for their education, this is more widespread than one would think. I was stunned at how aloof many of the administrators these refugees encountered were to the people they were charged with educating.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. It’s a very engaging and interesting look at immigration policies in schools, a topic that has so much importance. The refugees’ stories really resonate throughout the book. Napolitano does a great job of keeping the narrative clear even with the complex legal cases. This is a must read!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well researched book and an important topic. But 3.5 stars if I could. It became redundant from some intro chapters and then the trial. And the later chapters were retelling of what happened during the trial, with direct quotes, which is important obviously, but became a little dry and repetitive. Still an important read, hence rounding up.

[Shelly Chmil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story about a group of refugees who bravely fought for their right to a meaningful education. Hard to believe this took place not far from where I live, yet I knew nothing about it. This story, along with many others, could be prevented if Pennsylvania had fair and equitable funding.

[Josef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched book with plenty of useful information not just about the law suit involving the refugees in Lancaster, PA but also about immigration to the US in general. More people need to dive into these kind of books to get an idea what refugees go through in order to succeed on these shores.

[angie mohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankful for this case that will help refugees to have access to better education. Knowing refugee students who were enrolled in the school in question several years before the case went to court...I can attest to many of the things written about.

[Becky Linderholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about injustices and infuriating practices in schools and beyond that disenfranchise young refugees (and immigrants). While many of the policies and practices chronicled happened in a Lancaster, PA school district, it's indicative of similar problems elsewhere.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was shocked to realize that I disagreed with many of the author’s points (the appropriate placement and education of SLIFE is, in my experience, extremely complicated), but the book made me think and helped me to really flesh out my own perspective on the issue.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I read the hardcover, not the audio.) Good examination of the Issa v. School District of Lancaster case, and how too many refugees are set up for failure in the U.S.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, eye opening and well organized with a balance of personal experiences and the letter of the law.

[Jack Volpi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important read regardless of your immigrant status - this book is what it means to be an American. Totally readable and incredibly compelling.

[Bill Bleyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jo is a great writer and her story is compelling.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and timely story. I really enjoyed this book. It's exceptionally researched and reported.

[Harlem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed book

[Marietta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great perspectives and a must read for all. Thank you for this gift to our world.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read. Very compelling

[Maddie Gegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot recommend this book enough - Napolitano lays bare the challenges faced by refugee children in US schools - even in a district that has received an influx of refugee placements for decades.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story; putting into perspective differences in culture, highlighting the effects of the past six years (?) political/social/economic changes in US.