Learning in Public

Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's School

By: Courtney E. Martin

Narrated by: Courtney E. Martin

One mother’s story of enrolling her daughter in a local public school and the surprising, necessary lessons she learned with her neighbors.

From the time Courtney E. Martin strapped her daughter, Maya, to her chest for long walks, she was curious about Emerson Elementary, a public school down the street from her Oakland home. She learned that White families in their gentrifying neighborhood largely avoided the majority-Black, poorly-rated school. As she began asking why, a journey of a thousand moral miles began.

Learning in Public is the story, not just Courtney’s journey, but a whole country’s. Many of us are newly awakened to the continuing racial injustice all around us, but unsure of how to go beyond hashtags and yard signs to be a part of transforming the country. Courtney discovers that her public school, the foundation of our fragile democracy, is a powerful place to dig deeper.

Courtney E. Martin examines her own fears, assumptions, and conversations with other moms and dads as they navigate school choice. A vivid portrait of integration’s virtues and complexities, and yes, the palpable joy of trying to live differently in a country re-making itself. Learning in Public might also set your family’s life on a different course forever.

©2021 Courtney E. Martin (P)2021 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

“Writing with equal passion as a journalist and a mother, Courtney Martin interrogates the history and the moral contradictions of “elite parenting,” gentrification, and school choice. She lives the question of how to chart a new way forward with her daughter in their neighborhood. This is a kind of modeling our society needs - as openly messy as the work of remaking our world.” (Krista Tippett, host of On Being and author of Becoming Wise)

“Courtney Martin reveals the tensions that progressive parents grapple with when choosing schools for their children in a limited market for “good” schools. She inspires us to ask necessary questions about race, class, and education in a country that has not yet achieved justice for all.” (Dr. Dena Simmons, founder of LiberatED and author of White Rules for Black People)

“White parents want to be instruments of change, yet don’t want our own children to 'suffer.' We want to raise anti-racists, yet segregate our kids in 'good' schools dominated by families that look like us. Courtney Martin wrestles with all of these hopes and conundrums in ways that are personal, heartfelt and, especially now, profoundly necessary.” (Peggy Orenstein, author of Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex)

Thought provoking and well written

Thank you Courtney for your honest and transparent story. Navigating education, racism and being a good neighbor to all is at the forefront of my mind and this book challenged me and pushed me to continue asking questions.

Amazing listen

Must read for any parent or aspiring parent with school age kids. Personally I felt like this book was written with me in mind. I’m in exactly the position the author was in, making decisions about schools for my kids and I care about almost all of the same things she does. The way she weaves her personal narrative in with research and sociological analysis of race and class is amazingly done. Hugely informative and thought provoking.

Problematic but worthwhile

Important topic with some very important history and considerations. Unfortunately mired in white saviorism despite the author’s claims otherwise. Also, too long. But I listened to it all and sat with the discomfort and thought through the problems I had with her approach, reflecting on my own situation and how I might go about it all differently, and if you can engage like that I think it’s worthwhile.

Required reading

Required reading it for anybody who has ever gone to school, had kids or paid taxes.

Brilliant, honest storytelling

Martin draws you in with her authenticity and transparency, but you realize quickly that she is actually here to challenge you and elevate your thinking on whiteness and your role in upholding racial oppression. Highly recommended.

Important and insightful

This book is not only important and insightful, but also a page turner. The author did a masterful job narrating, I couldn’t stop listening. Thank you for sharing this story.

Thoughtful, nuanced, urgently needed

I wish everyone who wants to see the US become a more fair and caring country would read Learning in Public. The values of courage, self-reflection and an openness towards “others” will help us expand our notions of community. This doesn’t happen overnight for the author but her description of her process is intentional and encouraging. This book is a helpful examination of how educational choices are opportunities into the project of how to be the change we wish to see in the world!

Must read for those passionate about equal opportunity

Incredible combination of personal narrative and reflection along with historical and current day context on structural racism, education, and integrative efforts. I recommend to anyone who feels passionate about public education, especially to those that are white and/or privileged and have done enough work with our “fragility” to be able to hear perspectives on whiteness with open ears and hearts, controlling defensive reactions.

Such an important book

Anyone who has kids, knows kids or lives in a country with kids needs to read this. Yes it’s one parents journey to pick a school but the themes are applicable to any school and any white or privileged parent.

Thought provoking

I found this book so thought provoking and well done. I appreciated the research and candor that went into weaving a personal story with a controversial topic of race/equity.