Another Planet: A Year in the Life of a Suburban High School

by Elinor Burkett

Book Overview

With a novelist's eye, Elinor Burkett takes readers behind the school system's closed doors, revealing a world of mixed messages, manufactured myths, and political hype.

In the wake of school shootings across the country, one question haunted America: What is going wrong inside our nation's schools? To find out, award-winning journalist Elinor Burkett spent nine months -- from the opening pep rally to graduation day -- in a suburban Minneapolis...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060505850
• ISBN13: 9780060505851
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Amused

I have to admit, I'm pretty amused. The reactions to this book are exactly what they predicted they'd be. In general, suburban schools tend to escape critical examinations by any sort of media because, on paper, they look great compared to their more poverty-stricken counterparts--especially when compared to one-size-fits-all state standards. When someone does come in and examine the issues inner city schools get nailed on all the time, many suburban faculty members and kids flip out because they're so accustomed to receiving nothing but praise for their above-average graduation rates, test scores, etc. They shrink from truly critical examinations that take into account the fact that they could be doing better than they are because they start out with more advantages than other schools. Often, this criticism takes the form of accusing the author of only interviewing the "non-mainstream" kids. Yet what the students don't realize is that even some of the most "mainstream"-seeming kids have hidden problems and concerns that no one knows about, problems that only come out under extensive questioning. Also, everyone has a different definition of the "mainstream." I think this book does an excellent job of reflecting the not-always pleasant and positive world of a real suburban high school-warts and all. In a school of hundreds, there are literally hundreds of conflicting viewpoints. To expect these viewpoints to be uniformly "positive" is unrealistic, especially since teenagers, in general, tend to be highly critical of life, in general!

Excellent look at today's suburban schools...

Ms. Burkett has written a very engaging narrative about today's suburban schools. Not only is it easy to read and hard to set down, it's right on. I recently left a career of teaching, and I can vouch for many of the things that she describes. She goes out of her way to portray the faculty and students of the school accurately -- from the teachers who give the job everything they have, to the students who could care less, and everybody in between. This book is a must-read for anybody who is considering joining the teaching profession -- it will help them realize what they're getting into, as well as help them realize just how wonderful the job can be at times.

An answer to Columbine? Control = anger

I think this is a WONDERFUL book! I am a parent of a student in the class of 2000 in Prior Lake. Yes, it does use real names and real situations, and many of our staff members are not portrayed the way I, personally, would want to be portrayed if I were an educator, but I believe it also shows the real care, concern and dedication that some of our teachers have on a daily basis. Ms. Burkett shows the frustration of many of our students by an administration that uses control and intimadation to "control" our children. These are young people who are suppose to "obey' their teachers until graduation day in June, when they are suddenly suppose to think for themselves as adults. Maybe some of the anger in schools would lesson if we start treating students with the same respect that administrators expect. Ms. Burkett and her husband were a welcome addition to our community and I think it is a shame that she is getting bashed by the same administration who invited her into our school because she told the truth.

A little too honest for some people's taste

I was also a senior when Elli Burkett came to our school. I was interviewed, but not used in this book. However, I would like to express my opinion that this book is very honest. The book is accurate on how I remember highschool. I was one of the students in Ms. Corey's College Prep Comp classes and I was there through all the events. I was also in Mr. Carr's classes. She skillfully and honestly represents events of that time and place and I truly enjoyed the book. It is very well written.

rebuttal to review #1

I was also a senior at Prior Lake Senior High when this book was written. Although I am mentioned slightly in this book, I was by no means a class rebel or outcast. I was the average student, who happened to be in a gifted-and-talented program in high school. My question to whoever wrote review #1 is....who do you consider the "mainstream" student in our high school? I agree that the students who were given a great deal of print in this book were the Synergy (gifted students) and the FOCUS ("remedial" students), but I thought the author did a pretty good job getting representation from an assortment of the different "groups" in American high schools. But be realistic here, there is no way that every "type" of student could have been given extential print in this book unless it was extended by a few hundred pages. Even then, because of the complicated social structure in high schools, not every "group" would be represented. The author chose certain students who typify the American stereotype of several "well-known" high school groups: cheerleaders, jocks, nerds, drama students, band students, partiers, student council (i.e. "leaders"), goths, etc. Maybe the reason reviewer #1 doesn't feel that the "mainstream" student was not represented is because it is an impossible category to define. The "groups" listed above could be described as sub-categories for the mainstream group, because many of the mainstream kids are jocks, but maybe not the stars of the team; band members, but they don't throw their lives into music; partiers, but only on occasion; straight-A students who weren't labled as "gifted"....you get my point. I believe the author hoped that by displaying the students who were clear-cut representitives of certain high school groups, she would also include many of the "miscellaneous" students who reviewer #1 might describe as mainstream. I really enjoyed the book and the message it sends to educators about what really could be done to reform schools. I believe that anybody who is pursuing a career in secondary education get their hands on a copy of this book. It really gives the "inside story" of what teachers (and administrators) may deal with, and gives a good lesson in the social hierarchy both among the students and the faculty. Elinor Burkett pulls no punches, and says things as she saw them. The book reads much like a novel, but the academic side to it is not lost. If education reform is something that interests you, pick up a copy of ANOTHER PLANET.