Author and education activist Jonathan Kozol talked about his life, his career, and his body of writing. Mr. Kozol talked about how he became involved in the civil rights movement and started teaching in inner-city elementary schools. He discussed the problems with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Mr. Kozol responded to telephone calls and electronic communications.Video clips were shown of Jonathan Kozol giving a tour of his 1740s home in Byfield, Massachusetts on August 26, 2009. He talked about his reading habits, including chidren's books and poetry. In another clip he showed his workspace and talked about his writing habits.
Mr. Kozol is the author of over a dozen books, including The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America; Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools; and Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools that was the recipient of the National Book Award for Science, Philosophy, and Religion in 1968. Mr. Kozol is the founder of Education Action an organization that advocates against the government's No Child Left Behind legislation and promotes educational reform in the public school system.