{"product_id":"the-school-i-deserve-six-young-refugees-and-their-fight-for-equality-in-america-9780807055496","title":"The School I Deserve: Six Young Refugees and Their Fight for Equality in America","description":"\u003cb\u003eUncovers the key civil rights battle that immigrant children fought alongside the ACLU to ensure equal access to education within a xenophobic nation\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJournalist Jo Napolitano delves into the landmark case in which the School District of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was sued for refusing to admit older, non-English speaking refugees and sending them to a high-discipline alternative school. In a legal battle that mirrors that of the Little Rock Nine and \u003ci\u003eBrown v. Board of Education\u003c\/i\u003e, 6 brave refugee students fought alongside the ACLU and Education Law Center to demand equal access. \u003ci\u003eThe School I Deserve\u003c\/i\u003e illuminates the lack of support immigrant and refugee children face in our public school system and presents a hopeful future where all children can receive an equal education regardless of race, ethnicity, or their country of origin. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOne of the students, Khadidja Issa, fled the horrific violence in war-torn Sudan with the hope of a safer life in the United States, where she could enroll in school and eventually become a nurse. Instead, she was turned away by the School District of Lancaster before she was eventually enrolled in one of its alternative schools, a campus run by a for-profit company facing multiple abuse allegations. Napolitano follows Khadidja as she joins the lawsuit as a plaintiff in the \u003ci\u003eIssa v. School District of Lancaster\u003c\/i\u003e case, a legal battle that took place right before Donald Trump's presidential election, when immigrants and refugees were maligned on a national stage. The fiery week-long showdown between the ACLU and the school district was ultimately decided by a conservative judge who issued a shocking ruling with historic implications. \u003ci\u003eThe School I Deserve\u003c\/i\u003e brings to light this crucial and underreported case, which paved the way to equal access to education for countless immigrants and refugees to come.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJo Napolitano\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience at the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eNewsday\u003c\/i\u003e. She has written on many topics, but public education remains her primary focus. She first spotted the trend of public schools turning away immigrant children in 2014, when she was a senior reporter for \u003ci\u003eNewsday\u003c\/i\u003e. Months of research showed the trend was nationwide and won Napolitano a Spencer Education Fellowship to Columbia University to write this book. Connect with her on Twitter @Jo_Napolitano and on Instagram @jonapolitano.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Beacon Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50382997684498,"sku":"9780807055496","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_dc4c40d0-1608-46c1-b651-da62a7f36318.jpg?v=1728775385","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-school-i-deserve-six-young-refugees-and-their-fight-for-equality-in-america-9780807055496","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}