Hyper Education: Why Good Schools, Good Grades, and Good Behavior Are Not Enough

· Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Neil Shah
Audiobook
9 hr 17 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

Beyond soccer leagues, music camps, and drama lessons, today's youth are in an education arms race that begins in elementary school. In Hyper Education, Pawan Dhingra uncovers the growing world of high-achievement education and the after-school learning centers, spelling bees, and math competitions that it has spawned. It is a world where immigrant families vie with other Americans to be at the head of the class, putting in hours of studying and testing in order to gain a foothold in the supposed meritocracy of American public education. A world where enrichment centers, like Kumon, have seen 194 percent growth since 2002 and target children as young as three. Even families and teachers who avoid after-school academics are getting swept up. Drawing on over 100 in-depth interviews with teachers, tutors, principals, children, and parents, Dhingra delves into the why people participate in this phenomenon and examines how schools, families, and communities play their part. Moving past "Tiger Mom" stereotypes, he addresses why Asian American and white families practice what he calls "hyper education" and whether or not it makes sense.

About the author

Pawan Dhingra is professor of American studies at Amherst College. He is the author of many books, including Life Behind the Lobby: Indian American Motel Owners and the American Dream. His work has been featured in the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Salon, and the documentary, Breaking the Bee.

Neil Shah is an Audie Award-nominated narrator and AudioFile Earphones Award winner who has recorded over one hundred audiobooks. A classically trained actor with an MFA from the Old Globe/University of San Diego program, Neil has appeared off-Broadway and on regional stages, as well as in film and television.

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