Reaction Paper #1: This paper should be 4-5 pages long, double-spaced and should demonstrate your understanding of the material as well as your careful consideration of the issues presented. You will need to evaluate competing ideas here and present your own opinion based on the evidence gathered. So far this semester, we have been reading about the sociological imagination and schooling, as well as the value of an education in contemporary America. Summarize what you have learned about the state of academic success and failure in urban schools based on our readings of A Hope in the Unseen , by Ron Suskind (chapters 1-4). Connect the story of Cedric (main character in book) to a larger story of the challenges facing youngsters and those facing educators, parents and public officials in addressing the “achievement gap”. Cedric’s story is a struggle with eventual success. Is his story a typical one? What sets him apart from his peers at Ballou? What does this suggest about “fixing” broken schools? What do the articles suggest about the value of an education, all “tied to” the Sociological Imagination (C Wright Mills). Will fixing t he schools address the achievement gap or are there underlying issues that must be addressed? Think carefully here about the role of social class and the value of education. Remember class is stratified: Income, education, occupation.