{"product_id":"9780807772881","title":"Our School: Searching for Community in the Era of Choice","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlmost every major American city is experimenting with school choice—a deeply controversial idea that is dramatically reshaping public education. Will the wider array of school options help parents and educators identify better strategies for helping all children learn? Or will the high stakes of the marketplace end up privatizing this most public of institutions? Education activist Sam Chaltain believes that before we can answer these questions, we must put a human face on the modern landscape of teaching and learning.\u003cem\u003e Our School\u003c\/em\u003e documents a year in the life of two schools in the nation’s capital—one a new charter school just opening its doors, the other a neighborhood school that first opened in 1924. Chaltain weaves together the observations and emotions of the people whose lives intersect there, and the triumphs and the challenges they experience. The result is an unsettling, complex portrayal of American public education. \u003cem\u003eOur School\u003c\/em\u003e is important reading for educational policymakers, administrators, parents, the media, and anyone who aspires to be a teacher.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Features:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eSpecific recommendations for creating a healthy, high-functioning school.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eA detailed account of what school choice actually looks and feels like to the people who experience it.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eA vivid description of the modern classroom and what it’s \u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e like to teach in public school. \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eAn important focus on the humanity of teachers (their personal histories, their reasons for entering the profession, their day-to-day challenges).\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eAn intimate look at the inner lives of children (their biggest fears and needs, their moments of triumph and understanding).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSam Chaltain\u003c\/strong\u003e is a national educator and organizational change consultant based in Washington, DC. He was the National Director of the Forum for Education and Democracy and the founding director of the Five Freedoms Project. Visit his blog at samchaltain.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“What \u003cem\u003eOur School\u003c\/em\u003e shows with passion and precision is that education is about real people leading real lives in real places. If school doesn’t engage them, it doesn’t work, no matter what the accountants and policymakers may say. That’s what this book is really about and why it’s so important for anyone who genuinely cares about schools, communities, and their children.”\u003cbr\u003e—From the Foreword by \u003cstrong\u003eSir Ken Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e, world-renowned author and educator\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This is an important book. \u003cem\u003eOur School\u003c\/em\u003e is vibrant and alive. Sam Chaltain’s keen insights and warm, readable prose invite readers to experience the complex, challenging, often frustrating, and occasionally triumphant lives of four caring teachers and their students. I urge you to accept the invitation.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Merrow\u003c\/strong\u003e, education correspondent, PBS NewsHour, and president and executive producer, Learning Matters , Inc.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sam Chaltain is one of the most important voices in public education today, and he writes wonderfully well. In \u003cem\u003eOur School\u003c\/em\u003e, Sam puts a human face on urban education, showing us what it’s like to be a teacher, student, or parent in the Brave New World of school choice. Parents, educators, and policymakers should read this book. The result will be a more informed and creative conversation about what public education ought to be, and how to make it that way.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cstrong\u003eParker J. Palmer\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eHealing the Heart of Democracy\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Courage to Teach, \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Let Your Life Speak\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Teachers College Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47109529010416,"sku":"9780807772881","price":28.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780807772881_p0.jpg?v=1763727147","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780807772881","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}