Ghosts in the Schoolyard
Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side
- Contents
- Review Quotes
- Awards

Introduction
1 What a School Means
2 City of Losses
3 Dueling Realities
4 Mourning
Conclusion: An Open Door
Acknowledgments
Appendix: Methodological and Theoretical Notes
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Perhaps most importantly, Ewing gives direct voice to those served by those schools often dismissed as failing. What she finds is that these schools are often among the last working institutions in neighborhoods which have been systematically stripped of everything else. Mixing history, sociology, and even memoir, Ghosts in the Schoolyard is an important addition to any conversation about the future of public schools and those they were designed to serve."
public schools...Ewing explains school closures in a succinct manner, and her style of writing allows all to decipher the poignant points made in this book. Additionally, Ewing’s positionality as a Chicago native, and later a teacher in Chicago, is very important as it allows the reader to understand the landscape and history of Chicago from the standpoint of an insider...I highly recommend this book for all, especially for those interested in sociology, urban education, race, ethnicity, and qualitative research methods."
Chicago Review of Books: Best Nonfiction Book
Won
Center for Urban Ethnography at Penn GSE: Erickson and Hornberger Outstanding Ethnography in Education Book Award
Won
American Association for Teaching and Curriculum: O.L. Davis, Jr. Outstanding Book Award
Won
Education: Education--Economics, Law, Politics | Education--General Studies | Pre-School, Elementary and Secondary Education
Sociology: Race, Ethnic, and Minority Relations
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.