One Day, All Children...

March 26, 2001
"If at the time I had understood the importance of ensuring the necessary funds before moving forward with new ideas, Teach for America would never have been born in the first place," writes Kopp in this impassioned account of how what started 10 years ago as her bold college thesis has become a pioneering educational program . Her plan to create a national teacher corps by recruiting top college graduates to work in the neediest school districts across the U.S. led to the development of a solidly financed nonprofit organization that has placed more than 5,000 teachers, many of whom have achieved extraordinary academic results. But Kopp's primary aim in this frank, winning and well-timed book is to share what she's learned about bringing underprivileged and underperforming students up to par. For example, she argues that just giving them the same resources that privileged students have is not enough; teachers and administrators need to put in the extra time it takes to change these students' attitudes about their own capability for achieving success. When it comes to structuring and managing schools, she asserts that schools should recruit teachers from a variety of disciplines—not just those with degrees in education—give them the support they need, pay them well and encourage them to push their students to fulfill their highest potential, which is often far beyond any arbitrary measure of achievement. As an outsider, Kopp has brought a fresh approach to the educational process that has proved effective; her inspiring story will challenge schools and professional educators to take notice, while motivating college seniors and recent graduates to join her team.