This book was a wonderful detailed account of two Teach For America teachers who saw injustice in the schooling of underprivileged children and sought to change it. It provides a detailed and honest account of the struggles they went through in order to establish their KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) and eventually their own charter school. I definitely recommend this book to any current or future teacher specifically those who want to teach in urban settings or middle school. Mike and Levin are everything every teacher aspires to be and the success of their program speaks for itself. This book was brilliantly written and didn't sugar coat the struggles they faced among the school district and even in their own disagreements. Even the way the book was divided into "periods" with "study halls" at the end of each to catch you up on current KIPP progress was great. It really demonstrated the heart of these teachers and the struggles and rewards of teaching these children. This book was a joy to read and truly inspiring- and gave great advice to teachers without throwing it in your face. An honest glimpse into the history and lives of KIPP School founders Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin. Matthews does a wonderful job of sharing the early struggle of launching the KIPP program and it's slow but steady evolution to a charter school that is often held up as the example of success. Were Feinberg and Levin always nice? No, they are regular men frustrated by bureaucracy and an unjust antique school system. However, they sure worked very hard to make a dramatic change and offer educational opportunities for students who without them might have had none.
Interesting story, but the writing style is just not that good, and too much details.
—saaki
Stopped reading the book. I lost interest about halfway through it. (65%)
—krystal
This should be called "Work Hard, Be a Little bit of a Dick"
—FishSam
This is a very inspirational read for any teacher.
—Daisy
