Mission Possible (Book Giveaway)

The winner is Adriane!  Please contact me at loriesk at msn.com so I can get your book shipped.  Thanks to everybody who entered.  I wish I could give everybody a copy.

When I had the opportunity to read Mission Possible: How the Secrets of the Success Academies Can Work in Any School I was intrigued.  As a teacher, parent, and former student, I feel deeply invested in our educational system.  As a reading specialist, Eva Moskowitz and Ana Lavinia had me in the introduction when they wrote, "we believe that literacy is the key to learning."

This book takes you on a tour of the Success Academies and shows you THINK literacy in action.  Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of the Success Academy Charter Schools, and Ana Lavinia, designer and developer of THINK literacy, understand the challenges teachers and principals face.  Using the strategies outlined in the book the first Success Academy Charter School quickly emerged as one of the top performing schools in New York State.

A few of the differences between traditional public schools and the Success Academies that the book describes in detail are class length, extra time available for struggling students, the pace and rigor, expectations for students and staff, and a foundation in THINK literacy.

But what stood out to me as the biggest difference between traditional public schools and the Success Academies is the extensive time, energy, and funds that go into educating the adults in the building.  They believe that success starts with the adults and there are high expectations placed on teachers.  There is also constant support, training, and feedback.  Their professional development system includes things like the Cycle of Teacher Improvement and T School, a four week teacher training program.

This last point struck me because as a teacher, it can be hard to admit that you can't help every student simply because you don't know how.  I was asked to respond to the prompt, Stagnation, being unable to accomplish one's job at a high level, is one of the greatest sources of low teacher morale.  Why does this country treat teaching so differently than it does other professions?  I think it's because good teachers make their jobs look easy.  As a student, it's impossible to understand what goes into every lesson a teacher prepares, even the ones that don't go well.  The authors of the book have pointed out that teaching is a skill and art that needs to be continually developed.  The results from the Success Academies certainly suggest that the authors know what they're talking about.

This book is a valuable resource for teachers, principals, parents, education reformers, or anyone who cares about America's schools and students.

Want your own copy?  It's easy!  To enter, just leave a comment on this post.

I'll choose a random number on August 2.  If I don't hear from the winner within 48 hours, I'll choose a new winner.  Good luck and thanks so much for entering!  (Sorry, U.S. residents only.)

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.