BOOK REVIEWS
Two titles remain relevant by offering valuable best practices and historical insight and perspective.
REVIEWS BY ALYCE ORTUZAR
A Chance To Make History: What Works and What Doesn’t in Providing an Excellent Education for All By Wendy Kopp, Founder of Teach for America, with Steven Farr 2011; Perseus Books Group, Public Affairs: New York 232 pp (PB); $14.99 ISBN-13: 978-1-61039-104-7
Juan, like millions of other children, was grappling with the challenges of poverty. Like millions of other children, his statistically predicted trajectory was to drop out of high school, perhaps earn a GED, or maybe graduate from high school. According to the numbers, college was high- ly unlikely. Juan beat those odds. In our wealthy nation, there are millions of students with Juan’s potential whose SURPLVHJRHVXQIXO¿OOHG ,WVKRXOGQRWEH WKLVZD\DQG LW does not have to be this way. ~ Excerpted from $&KDQFH7R0DNH+LVWRU\ $XWKRUDQGHGXFDWRU:HQG\.RSS¿OOVWKLVLPSRUWDQWDQGHQJDJLQJ book with lessons from and examples of Teach for America accom- plishments. She provides clear educational pathways for uncovering DQGQXUWXULQJ WKH ³WUDQVIRUPDWLRQDOSRWHQWLDO RI FKLOGUHQ LQ ORZLQ - FRPHFRPPXQLWLHV´+HUVXFFHVVHVLQFOXGHVWXGHQWVLQDOWHUQDWLYHHG - ucation programs, such as youth in the criminal justice system. According to New Orleans education reformer Leslie Jacobs, rev- olutions happen when expectations are rising — not when life seems dismal. The successful urban and rural teachers and schools highlight- HGLQWKLVERRNDUH³SDUWRIDUHYROXWLRQWRUDLVHNLQGHUJDUWHQWKURXJK high school expectations and performance outcomes throughout our FRXQWU\´7KHGUDPDWLFVXFFHVVVWRULHV.RSSZULWHVDERXW WDNHSODFH LQ WKH FRQWH[W RI RXU RQJRLQJ² DOEHLW WRR RIWHQ ÀDZHG² KLVWRULFDO ³TXHVWWROLYHXSWRRXUDVSLUDWLRQWREHDODQGRIHTXDORSSRUWXQLW\´ Kopp laments the academic and economic challenges and barriers FRQIURQWLQJWKH³PRUHWKDQPLOOLRQFKLOGUHQLQRXUQDWLRQZKRDUH JURZLQJXSEHORZWKHSRYHUW\OLQH´7KDWSRSXODWLRQWHQGVWREH³WZR to three years behind in reading skills by the time they reach fourth grade. Half of them will not graduate from high school. Those who GRJUDGXDWHZLOO UHDGDQGGRPDWK´DW WKH HLJKWKJUDGH OHYHO ³+LJK school dropouts have three times the unemployment rate of college JUDGXDWHV<RXQJPDOHKLJKVFKRROGURSRXWVDUHDVKRFNLQJIRUW\VHY - HQWLPHVPRUHOLNHO\WKDQFROOHJHJUDGXDWHVWREHLQFDUFHUDWHG´7KHVH unacceptable and preventable disparities weaken our economy and our democracy. The Marva Collins Model and Legacy .RSSQRWHVWKDWLQWKHHDUO\ VWKHUHZHUH³DVPDOOQXPEHURI widely heralded examples of schools that changed the trajectories of continued on page 90
PATHWAYS—Fall 21—35
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