What School Could Be - by Ted Dintersmith (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

During the 2016 school year, innovation expert Ted Dintersmith took an unprecedented trip across America. He visited all fifty states, seeking to raise awareness about the urgent need to reimagine education to prepare students for the career and citizenship demands of an increasingly-innovative world.

As he traveled, though, Dintersmith met innovative teachers all across the country -- teachers doing extraordinary things in ordinary settings, creating innovative classrooms where children learn deeply and joyously. Each day, these students are engaged and inspired by their teachers, who in turn help children develop purpose, agency, essential skill sets and mind-sets, and deep knowledge. The insights of these teachers offer a vision of what school could be, and a model for how to help schools achieve it.

Review Quotes

". . . a passionate manifesto for forms of education that do justice to the deep talents and diverse futures of all our children. It's essential reading . . ." -- Sir Ken Robinson

"Put down whatever you are reading. Do you hear me? Put. It. Down. And pick up this inspirational tour of the 'Best Places to Go' in education innovation." -- Lily Eskelsen Garcia, President, National Education Association

". . . hands down the best book on education that I've read in a very long time. Read it and act!" -- Tony Wagner, author of The Global Achievement Gap and Creating Innovators

" . . gives us tremendous insight and hope about what works to create and sustain powerful schools." -- Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers

"Everyone tells us the education system is broken, with a pet theory for how to fix it. Dintersmith did something different. He listened." -- Dan Heath

". . . a thought-provoking and inspiring look at our education system, from the perspective of an innovation expert . . ." -- Linda Darling-Hammond

". . . a message of hope presented through the stories of scores of fearless educators who dare to do things better. A must-read." -- Pasi Sahlberg

"What makes the book special is that it conveys its message through so many innovative and yet concrete and replicable examples that will challenge anyone in whatever context to step back and reimagine education." -- Andreas Schleicher

". . . a powerful book that will inspire parents and teachers." -- Nancy Faust Sizer, coauthor of The Students Are Watching

". . . an inspiring and deeply moving tour of the best in American education." - John Merrow, PBS NewsHour education correspondent

"Very few books can leave you feeling both mad as hell and hopeful. This is one of them." -- Andrew McAfee, coauthor of Machine

Crowd and The Second Machine Age

". . . fuels a vitally important discussion about the need to transform education" - Doug Burgum, Governor, state of North Dakota

". . . can help all policymakers focus on what actually works as we move this important discussion forward."--U.S. Senator and former New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan

". . . a critically important book that every educator should read and use." -- Brad Gustafson, elementary school principal and author of Renegade Leadership: Creating Innovative Schools for Digital-Age Students