Lessons from One Campaign for Game-Changing School Reform

The author says, "This is a book of lessons I learned from my experience fighting for and then supporting meaningful improvement in public schools in Brooklyn and the Bronx, New York, from 1994-2014. Here is what I think is still applicable to a wide and diverse communities, situations, and educational issues today."

This is a 74-page "case study" in "game-changing eductional reform" led by community organizations and their member institutions, not by outside experts or inside bureaucrats. Here are the lessons learned by the organizers and leaders:

• Experts think about trends and systems, but people and relationships matter. Believe what you see with your own eyes.
• Think big and ask for big things, but be ready to accept less. Know when to ask publicly and when to ask privately. Always be intentional about the choice between fighting the system and working within it to achieve your goals.
• Large institutions are resistant to change, but there are good people in them; you must cultivate those relationships.
• Allies outside the educational system are important, particularly in complex issue areas. It does not matter if you do not agree on everything. However, I also learned the importance of protecting your own organizational identity.
• Today’s reforms or improvements will not last forever, you must stay in the game.

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