Lessons of Hope: How to Fix Our Schools

by Joel Klein

Overview

New York Times Bestseller (Education)

The Economist Best Books of the Year Selection

In this revealing and provocative memoir, the former chancellor of the New York City schools offers the behind-the-scenes story of the city’s dramatic campaign to improve public education and an inspiring blueprint for national reform.

In 2002 New York City’s newly elected mayor, Michael Bloomberg, made a historic announcement: his administration had won control of the city’s school system in a first step toward reversing its precipitous decline. In a controversial move, he appointed Joel Klein, an accomplished lawyer from outside the education establishment, to lead this ambitious campaign.

Lessons of Hope is Klein’s inside account of his eight-year mission of improvement: demanding accountability, eliminating political favoritism, and battling a powerful teachers union that seemed determined to protect a status quo that didn’t work for kids. Klein’s initiatives resulted in more school choice, higher graduation rates, and improved test scores. The New York City model is now seen as a national standard for meaningful school reform. But the journey was not easy. Klein faced resistance and conflict at every turn.

Lessons of Hope lays bare the problems plaguing public education and shows how they can be solved. At its core lies Klein’s personal story: his humble upbringing in Brooklyn and Queens, and the key role that outstanding public school teachers played in nurturing his success. Engaging and illuminating, Lessons of Hope is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of American public education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062268662
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/04/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	325
File size:	656 KB

About the Author

Joel Klein served as chancellor of the New York City Department of Education from 2002 to 2011. Earlier in his career, he served as U.S. assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, deputy White House counsel during the Clinton administration, and CEO of the U.S. headquarters of Bertelsmann. He currently serves as executive vice president at News Corporation and CEO of its education division, Amplify. He lives in New York City with his wife, Nicole Seligman.

Joel Klein served as chancellor of the New York City Department of Education from 2002 to 2011. Earlier in his career, he served as U.S. assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, deputy White House counsel during the Clinton administration, and CEO of the U.S. headquarters of Bertelsmann. He currently serves as executive vice president at News Corporation and CEO of its education division, Amplify. He lives in New York City with his wife, Nicole Seligman.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

1 Before 1

2 Everybody Deserves a Good Education 15

3 No One Knows Anything 33

4 A System of Great Schools 49

5 Children First 77

6 Dollars and Sense 95

7 The Zombie Bureaucracy 119

8 A Deal Worth Fighting For 149

9 Making Leaders 167

10 Overcoming the Fear Factor 189

11 Relentless 215

12 Change That Endures 245

13 Choosing Hope 267

Postscript 285

Acknowledgments 291

Editorial Reviews

Lessons of Hope is part memoir, part blueprint for reviving public education, as Joel Klein takes us inside the dramatic struggle to turn around the New York City school system. — Arianna Huffington

“Joel Klein’s grasp of how critically linked a child’s education is to his or her success in life, and what that means for the future of America, make this book a great and important read.” — former Florida Governor Jeb Bush

Joel Klein has emerged from the bureaucracy to tell in personal, vivid detail what happened when he and his colleagues attempted to transform the country’s largest school system. — Amanda Ripley, bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World

A book that is inspiring as it is informative about the state of modern education. I hope every parent and teacher in the U.S. reads it. — Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the "Freakonomics" series and host of Freakonomics Radio

Lessons of Hope is a bracing reminder of the need to improve America’s schools so we can deliver on the promise of a great education for everyone. — Bill Gates

This important book is of great value for families making decisions about schools and for policymakers and advocates who are determined to improve our nation’s systems of schools. — Senator Cory A. Booker

“Lessons of Hope is often a compelling account of how determined leadership can remove obstacles to change, and Klein offers a strong defense of his work as an effective leader of reform.” — Daily Beast

“Anyone interested in improving public school systems and learning about the Orwellian nature of contemporary political discourse should read Joel Klein’s Lessons of Hope. — Center on Reinventing Public Education

“Lessons of Hope is unique in the education reform genre, joined perhaps only by Steve Brill’s Class Warfare.The education space is full of policy wonks, but it’s rare to get such insight from the inner trenches of the political battles fought to implement that policy.” — Huffington Post

From the Publisher

Anyone interested in improving public school systems and learning about the Orwellian nature of contemporary political discourse should read Joel Klein’s Lessons of Hope.

Center on Reinventing Public Education

Joel Klein’s grasp of how critically linked a child’s education is to his or her success in life, and what that means for the future of America, make this book a great and important read.

former Florida Governor Jeb Bush

Lessons of Hope is a bracing reminder of the need to improve America’s schools so we can deliver on the promise of a great education for everyone.

Bill Gates

This important book is of great value for families making decisions about schools and for policymakers and advocates who are determined to improve our nation’s systems of schools.

Senator Cory A. Booker

A book that is inspiring as it is informative about the state of modern education. I hope every parent and teacher in the U.S. reads it.

Stephen J. Dubner

Lessons of Hope is unique in the education reform genre, joined perhaps only by Steve Brill’s Class Warfare.The education space is full of policy wonks, but it’s rare to get such insight from the inner trenches of the political battles fought to implement that policy.

Huffington Post

Joel Klein has emerged from the bureaucracy to tell in personal, vivid detail what happened when he and his colleagues attempted to transform the country’s largest school system.

Amanda Ripley

Lessons of Hope is part memoir, part blueprint for reviving public education, as Joel Klein takes us inside the dramatic struggle to turn around the New York City school system.

Arianna Huffington

Lessons of Hope is often a compelling account of how determined leadership can remove obstacles to change, and Klein offers a strong defense of his work as an effective leader of reform.

Daily Beast

11/15/2014
In 2002, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed lawyer Klein chancellor of the NYC Department of Education. With numerous problems plaguing the organization, Klein set about creating a team and structure that could address the issues preventing the city's classrooms from finding success. By focusing on increased accountability and eliminating political roadblocks during his years as chancellor (August 2002–January 2011), Klein and his team were able to turn the school system around, realizing higher graduation rates and improved test scores. The intent of this book is to offer a critical and in-depth look at these years in the form of a self-reflective autobiography. Klein presents an honest rundown of the challenges he faced and is very forthright in his portrayals of everyone involved in the process. Overall, this account provides a vision of schooling that is not highly generalizable; however, the author's fascinating commentary on himself as an individual and on education politics as a whole is engaging. VERDICT For readers with a strong interest in the landscape of education politics, who aren't necessarily looking for practical solutions for their own educational dilemmas. [See Prepub Alert, 6/2/14.]—Rachel Wadham, Brigham Young Univ. Libs., Provo, UT

Library Journal

2014-09-11
News Corp. executive vice president Klein gives an accounting of the remaking of New York City's school system during his eight-year term as chancellor. Trained as a lawyer and serving in President Bill Clinton's Justice Department, the author was appointed as the head of the nation's largest school system by newly elected Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002, after the state legislature voted to give the mayor full authority over city schools. Using a national network of collaborators, Klein became one of the most influential figures in American education. He was also among the most controversial figures, but he makes it clear that the mayor was in charge. On Martin Luther King Day in 2003, Bloomberg announced the reform program called "Children First," which Klein calls "the most carefully crafted public address of his time in office." Part of the plan included the elimination of New York City's elected school boards, along with the district superintendents' offices. From then on, the schools were to be run centrally. "I wanted control [of the schools]," said Bloomberg, "and I got control. And I am going to do something about it." Klein was tasked with the restructuring of three separate but related problem areas—political, bureaucratic and educational—to benefit the children. First on his agenda was empowering school principals by freeing them from political patronage and bureaucratic obstructionism. To that end, he set up a principals' training institute and program. Over a four-year time frame, the 1,000-page teachers' contract was renegotiated, and curriculum changes were introduced. The author also sought to lower the dropout rate, and he notes that relations with the teachers' union were vital to his efforts to improve the quality of education for New York City students. A skillful account of how Klein maneuvered between parent and teacher concerns and city politics to transform the city's education system.

Kirkus Reviews