Customer Reviews

Nothing's Impossible:: Leadership Lessons from Inside and Outside the Classroom

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found about Dr. Lorraine Monroe on 60 minutes. She took one of the worst public schools in Harlem, New York and turned it around to the point that it is one of the top three public schools in New York and 96% of it's students are accepted into college. I believe that her insights and strategies can be used to improve any workplace or organization. Remember, she isn't some theorist - she actually has dramatic results in the real world -under some of the toughest odds imaginable!

She has some great strategies that can help anyone. Here is an example:

"I developed the habit of never asking my superiors at the Board of Education for permission to carry out any innovation or other "risky" venture. I felt that if I asked, they would usually say no. After all, they were cautious, conservative people, interested in keeping their present jobs or moving up within the heirarchy. Taking risks isn't a good way of accomplishing either goal.

.....My supervisor would come to the school for periodic visits, and I'd either tell him about our latest venture or let him see it for himself. I figured that it would be hard, even for a dyed-in-the-wool bureaucrat, to try to stop a program that was already running successfully. This approach worked like a charm; the supervisor was generally pleased to realise that the successful new program, whatever it was, had been started under his administration. As the saying goes. "Success has many parents." When something is working, people are always ready and eager to bless it and share the credit."

Some more of the Monroe Doctrine:

"I learned from Mr. Littwin that it's impossible to run any organization from behind a desk in an office. You've got to walk around, watch people work, schmooze with everyone, and make yourself visible. It's the only way to really know what's going on and to have a true impact on the operation."

Pick up this book to get some inspiration on how you can make a dramatic difference in your organization.

Dr. Lorraine Monroe was my principal at the Frederick Douglass Academy. I was one of the students recruited from other Junior High schools to attend the Frederick Douglass Academy. I have read "Nothing's Impossible" and I enjoyed it. I love understanding the mind that developed FDA. I am one of the products of FDA. According to this book, Dr. Lorraine Monroe and her small band of teachers and faculty goal was to make sure that minorities from Harlem, Bronx, and Brooklyn were able to get into the colleges of their choice. We did just so. I am currently at New York University's Stern School of Business looking towards completing my masters and a career in business. Thank you Dr. Monroe for teaching me how to be a leader.

This book is wonderful. Dr. Monroe inspires all readers to believe that all children are capable of excellence. The role of educators in our country are highly undervalued. Dr. Monroe reminds us that teaching is "holy work". Teachers have the ability to transform lives. The "Monroe Doctrine" is a standard that all schools should have in place. 5 stars for a book, not only directed toward educators, but directed toward all potential leaders. As a mother, I understand that I can lead my children to success.

Nothing's Impossible by Lorraine Monroe is the finest book on the market today. This book should be required reading for all educators and persons who affect the lives of children, young adults. This book is written very simplistically with heart-warming feelings that touches the nerves of any sound thinking individual. I read this book in 20 hours. I slept with it because I did not want to lose sight of it. This book causes you to laugh, smile, cry, get angry, be proud and most of all admire the ability, concern and commitment that this educator had. The passion for belief in and respect for the individual is the kind of qualities all educators should possess. I see another "Lean of Me" movie in the making. Lorraine is my choice for Administrator of the Year! Thanks Lorraine Monroe for the "Monroe Doctrine."

Dr. Lorraine Monroe is a force to be reckoned with. Tenacious in all aspects, once she discovered who she was and what power she possessed as a leader, there was no turning back.

I choose to read about Dr. Monroe simply from the title of her book Nothing's Impossible and to learn what further lessons I could learn in and outside the classroom. As an administrator, I too believe that nothing is impossible and I was curious to see hear how "a dedicated educator" as Jimmy Carter described "conquered the most overwhelming challenges in life". I was not disappointed. As I read, reread, dog-eared pages highlighted and shared with my colleagues those familiar Monroe Doctrines (witty sayings and profound statements) I continued to believe that perseverance and believing in yourself enough not to back down for what you believe in, is part of the leaders make-up.

Dr. Monroe further encouraged my thinking that sometimes as a leader, it's better to just "do your thing" and ask questions later, even it means getting your hands slapped later.

I would encourage administrators in all lines of work to learn from these lessons, because no matter where you work, those you're working with are `students' in your `classroom' even if it's in the corporate office.

In the final chapter of the book, although the message reverberates all through the book, Monroe brings back the point that leadership is the key to school change. In her words, the message of the leader is "I am here to support you in whatever way you choose, as long as your way improves children's academic and social achievement."

As an educator I found this book extremely helpful. It contains practical ideas for running effective schools where all children achieve. But this book is not just for educators. I gave it to my father and he LOVED it! Dr. Monroe is a storyteller. Her life is an example of the truism that with faith and a focused plan -- nothing is impossible!

I had hoped for a coherent "doctrine" or plan of action for transformational change in urban schools. Instead... I was taken through a treatise on how Ms. Monroe traveled her path with some anecdotes. The closet thing to a doctrine were unattributed (were they hears or others) quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Ms. Monroe is apparently charismatic and some of her ability to affect change seems to be attributable to her charisma. I wanted to hear the story of how she changed and sustained learning at these two schools.. I didn't get that. Perhaps there is more yet to be learned about and from her as she comes highly recommended by some of my peers who have been very successful and changing and sustaining positive results at challenging schools here in San Francisco.

What this Mrs. Monroe fails to accept is that your students where chosen for ability and family involvement, and the troubled ones where left out of the educational loop of FDA and if they failed to live up to your parental requirement they where pushed out into the regular public school system. In addition the level of special students where again hand picked as where the educators, and then Monroe herself boasted of how she would dismiss teachers who she deemed unworthy regardless of personal issues that may have taken place in their life. Monroe's whole story of school success is therefore a big sham, she didn't take one of the worst schools in a failing district, but created a private school population charter school in a failing district, come back after you take on an unfiltered school in which you do not weed out your challenge students. After all any school can achieve if your population is controlled, which is not the case in a normal public school and if you did try what Lorraine gloats about with your whole district population, you'll get succeeding schools all over and a nice chunk of children on the streets. A district in Salinas was attempting to improve itself with the mentality of a tyrant can control a district only to find that the opposite happened.

Everyone should read this book. I just started it and I am already hooked. The energy and enthusiasm leaps from the pages and "kicks" you into action. Although I am not an educator, I was greatly encouraged as a parent-to-be by this book. Thank you Dr. Monroe for being obedient to God's calling and preparing the way for our future leaders.

Really thought this book would include more tips for teachers in inner city schools. Author did provide insight though more for new-to-teaching folks.