Note to Educators:

In this essay, Jeff Duncan-Andrade explores the concept of hope, which was central to the Obama campaign, as essential for nurturing urban youth. He first identifies three forms of “false hope”—hokey hope, mythical hope, and hope deferred—pervasive in and peddled by many urban schools. Discussion of these false hopes then gives way to Duncan-Andrade’s conception of “critical hope,” explained through the description of three necessary elements of educational practice that produce and sustain true hope. Through the voices of young people and their teachers, and the invocation of powerful metaphor and imagery, Duncan-Andrade proclaims critical hope’s significance for an education that relieves undeserved suffering in communities.

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Jeffrey M. R. Duncan-Andrade works closely with teachers and school leaders to develop classroom practices and school cultures that foster self-confidence and academic success. He publishes regularly on the conditions of urban education, urban teacher support and development, and critical pedagogy. He recently completed The Art of Critical Pedagogy (2008) and is finishing a book on the core competencies of highly effective urban educators.