Schools Cannot Do It Alone

Description

“My father died in a spectacular room overlooking
the Florida coast.”
So begins this provocative story of a businessman’s journey through the land of blueberries, bell curves, and smelly eighth graders. Part memoir, part how-to manual, Schools Cannot Do It Alone tells of Jamie Vollmer’s transformation from vocal critic to award-winning defender of America’s public schools.

Based on twenty years of work with school districts across the country, Jamie argues that we have come to a watershed moment in our history. Bashing public education has become a blood sport—a dangerous game in which sensational headlines publicize half-truths, statistics are used out of context, and test results are reported in the worst possible light.

Schools Cannot Do It Alone confronts these threats head-on and presents a step-by-step program to bring educators and the public together to create schools that unfold the full potential of every child. From the first pages of a most personal Introduction, to the final chapter’s message of hope, Vollmer argues with conviction that America’s teachers and administrators are ready and able to meet the challenges of our time, but they cannot do it alone.