Customer Reviews

The Hardest Questions Aren't on the Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School

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As an educator who has worked in almost all levels of schooling this book offers insight regarding the serious issues that face education in America. Infusing hope with a critical lens of schooling, The Hardest Questions, inspires while at the same time challenges educators to reflect, rethink and perhaps redefine their understanding of the purpose of school. Certainly, this book will be added to university courses on foundations of education as well as classroom teaching. The personal narratives of teachers inside Boston Arts Academy (BAA) provide essential lessons, for current and future teachers, in classroom management and student engagement. However, I wonder is it possible for this model set forth by BAA to be reproduced on a national scale; every state or even school district needs a BAA. The question that remains is can Linda Nathan's BAA model be successfully recreated in places like Detroit, Philadelphia, or D.C. This reader certainly hopes so.

You have to admire the courage of the author. She shares their struggles (their "warts and wounds") and doesn't claim to have all the answers...the questions ARE hard and sometimes painful. But she, her faculty and staff of this innovative and imaginative urban high school tackle them head on and certainly make progress - over 95% of graduates regularly go on to college. For those who believe that public education remains our last best chance at leveling the playing field for all kids, you'll be glad to read this important book.

Linda Nathan clearly has a long record of successful leadership in urban schools, so what struck me most when I picked up "The Hardest Questions" was how poorly written this manifesto really is. The book's often awkward wording and perambulatory paragraphs leave the reader with the strange sensation that s/he is reading a less-than-satisfactory translation of a book originally penned in a foreign tongue. But, of course, a lack of eloquence does not in itself disqualify the book's content.

Ms. Nathan makes some vitally important points, but few are actually new; what truly distinguishes this book is its shameless narcisissm. The author begins with a balanced discussion of countless issues of contention in contemporary education, only to dismiss all convential approaches in favor of her own half-baked suggestion, which usually idealistically assumes some sort of democratic consensus among all stakeholders in the situation. The reader is left groaning when s/he understands what the author is actually suggesting: what every school in the nation REALLY needs is a Linda Nathan at the helm.

This book is highly valuable as an anecdotal account of the challenges faced by one school leader, but it is far from a universal blueprint for urban school reform.

Wow! This is an extraordinarily honest, deeply personal, and remarkably exhilarating journey into the life of a school where public education really works. With a joyous, unrelenting focus on creating a school environment that literally "leaves no child behind," Linda Nathan and her team have worked miracles at the Boston Arts Academy. A must read, not only for teachers or those considering careers in education, but for anyone who wants to feel energized and optimistic about what a great group of teachers and administrators can accomplish. Without even trying to, this book demolishes the false promise of standardized testing, and shows that by concentrating on how individual students learn, and on building a school environment dedicated to uniting teachers and students alike in a common mission, real success is possible. I've been passing this around to all my friends.

To be truthful, I know Linda Nathan and have visited the BAA several times as I worked in the same district. Most amazing is that Linda is still there practicing what she preaches. Thoughtful theory lived every day. Read page 62. As a former teacher trainer, I appreciate her comments on how to change people, and
thereby change schools. I heard the same naysayers during other reform initiatives. Ten years later, staff turnover/retirement
has started. To me this is the real test of whether the school endures. And will it sustain, endure, and growth if/when Linda
retires? Her inspiration and leadership are amazing, although the whole team is top notch. My one criticism of the book is perhaps
a reader cannot capture the genuine affection in the school's atmosphere. Perhaps not appropriate for Linda to say it but I can as an outsider. Note also, the school continues to evolve after the period discussed in the book. Even onto an international stage.
Quite remarkable. BAA proves, creative, amazing schools can exist and they can exist in large urban districts. Lots of people made it happen including colleges, corporate partners, and dedicated Board members. What the book covers, however, is the vision,mission,and teaching practices that made the school take shape and become a success.

This is one of the most thoughtful and introspective books written by an educational leader that I've ever read. It is surprisingly honest and Nathan takes on topics that school principals often gloss over or couch in off-putting educational jargon. If you care about creating effective schools in urban communities, this book should be on your reading list.

As a teacher I am always interested in how schools manage to excite and involve students. Linda Nathan and the staff of The Boston Arts Academy (a very special Boston public school) have figured out a very successful, idiosyncratic, way to create a school which serves the needs of its students, not the needs of bureaucrats who are only fixated on the latest test scores. In my school, South Lake High School in Seattle, several teachers are reading this book to find out what lessons the Boston Arts Academy has for our small, idiosyncratic school.

Here is Linda Nathan with some of her students giving a presentation about their school:
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I highly recommend this book. It is written by an administrator who has "been there" and has great advice for teachers AND administrators in schools of ALL size. It is good to be reminded in this age of NCLB that teaching the WHOLE child is important. Test scores will rise and creativity will NOT suffer if teachers are treated as more than "testers" and students are encouraged to be more than skilled "test-takers." Teacher and student empowerment is the key. Also, it is a good book to remind us that not all students have parents or backgrounds helping them toward college - that sometimes teachers and administrators have to set the stage for success and also handle the details in order to help students progress beyond high school graduation! I have read LOTS of educational books - few which I keep in my permanent library - but this one is a keeper! This has been the focus of an ongoing discussion board at [...]. Check it out.

As a reader not involved in K-12 education directly this book is a wonderful view into the challenges and issues confronting educators today. It is eminently readable and full of stories that show the terrific commitment of administrators, teachers, students and parents to a school they see as worthy.

I wish this school was around when I was a kid. It's filled with a type of passion and energy one seldom experiences or hears about in public education. For anyone seriously interested in public school reform, this book is a must-have.