One Day, All Children: The Unlikely Triumph of Teach for America and What I Learned Along the Way

Book Description

"A diary for a social entrrepreneur, an inspiring how-to guide for young people with big dreams, a thoughtful tale of the ups and downs of a decade at the stunningly successful non-profit organization"--New York Times

From her dorm room at Princeton University, twenty-one-year-old college senior Wendy Kopp decided to launch a movement to improve public education in America. In One Day, All Children... , she shares the remarkable story of Teach For America, a non-profit organization that sends outstanding college graduates to teach for two years in the most under-resourced urban and rural public schools in America. The astonishing success of the program has proven it possible for children in low-income areas to attain the same level of academic achievement as children in more privileged areas and more privileged schools.

One Day, All Children... is not just a personal memoir. It's a blueprint for the new civil rights movement--a movement that demands educational access and opportunity for all American children.

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring Story, But Gets Bogged Down.......2006-05-18

ONE DAY, ALL CHILDREN is the story of how Wendy Kopp started Teach For America. For those unfamiliar with the program, Teach For America is an organization that recruits college graduates and young adults to work for two years at inner city and rural schools where there are teaching shortages. Corps members are sent through an extremely extensive three week training program during the summer before heading off to their various assignments in the fall. Teach For America has come under criticism by the professional educational teaching programs because corps members aren't forced to go through a teacher education program before being hired. Personally, I think the program is a great idea that is meeting the needs of our nation's underprivileged children; instead of throwing money at the savage inequality of education, Teach For America is attempting to fix the problem.

ONE DAY, ALL CHILDREN explains how Kopp came up with the idea, how she got the organization started, the trials and tribulations of the organization during the first year, growing pains that happened years later, etc. Those who are familiar with Teach For America might find the book interesting as well as anyone looking for a somewhat inspiring story of a person who creating a national life changing educational agency from scratch. Those who are involved in education might enjoy reading the book, too, though professional teacher educators might balk at the idea of sleeping with an enemy that they seem to hate. For everyone else, the book has some interesting moments, but most of those come near the beginning so you might want to spend your time reading something else.

An Inspiring, True Story That Tackles Harsh Realities.......2005-02-21

"One Day, All Children" is a captivating story of how Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach for America, and how she followed her dreams to DO SOMETHING about the harsh realities and failures of many of our public schools. Mind you, the book TELLS ALL, from fundraising nightmares to team member turmoil; this is not simply a book on idealistic pedagogy. The story is guaranteed to frustrate you and inspire you. That a fresh college grad, assisted by other fresh young people, established Teach for America is incredible. This is worthwhile reading for Teach for America applicants, new teachers, education students, and social justice-minded people.

An inspirational short read.......2002-09-19

In less than 200 pages, Ms. Kopp details every step she took in establishing Teach for America, the national teaching corps for recent college graduates. Chapters 1-9 are a primer for fundraising techniques, non-profit organizational set-up and strong management skills. But, Chapter 10, the most interesting by far, is a lengthy description on what makes good educators. You may be inspired enough to join in the efforts in ensuring excellent education for all children in this great nation of ours.

An Idea Acted Upon...........2002-07-20

One person, and idea, and a difference. Wendy Kopp detailed the relentless cycle of securing grant money to meet payroll to keep the organization afloat. Often the life of this organization was within days of sinking, but alas, the golden check was cleared. She is a very gifted networker, who managed a large organization without management experience until she handed over the operational reigns to those who knew what was going on. This account is from the perspective of the person who created the organization and ran it, so this should be taken into account. Their was heavy emphasis on recruiting graduates from Ivy League universities, which is good, because the students they would be teaching almost never have access to teachers with Ivy League educations and exposure. Those not in the Ivy Leagues seemed to not have a shot, although they could have made a significant impact. The reason why Teach For America exists in the first place in my opinion, is because the monopolistic public school system is an outright systematic, bureaucratic disaster today. TFA is a needed action, but also puts a band-aid on a bullet wound that is bleeding like a sieve. Recommended to young, new teachers, that are still idealistic and haven't become cynical, burned out, or moribund yet because of politics, administrators, and idiotic school policies.

Success against the odds!.......2002-03-16

Read the book in one day! Even though you know the outcome, it has the pull of a fiction novel as you read through the ups and downs of building TFA.

Kopp shows that vision, persistence and optimism can beat the odds when it comes to a good idea. She also demonstrates that all good ideas hit big speed bumps and resiliency is key with some insightful stories.

In addition there is a fairly specific prescription for what makes for a good teacher at the end of the book. This isn't philosophical musings--this is exeperiential lessons being laid out by Kopp.

Customer Reviews:

A classic.......2006-08-25

I first read this book about 10 years ago, when I found the original hardcover in my parents' shelves. It has become one of the (few) books that I read repeatedly, once every couple of years. It's a really well-written, grown-up fairy tale. I am glad to see that it is still in print.

I would also HIGHLY recomment Sunshine, by Robin McKinley, and War for the Oaks, by Emma Bull (the only other fantasy "comfort reads" that I come back to again and again).

1 star is more than it deserves........2006-08-22

this book is terrible, i didn't get more than a few chapters into it! the writing stinks and the characters just don't cut it. this is a weak excuse for a story!

A Charming, but Flawed, Fable.......2005-11-11

Mary Brown's The Unlikely Ones could best be described as a modern folktale, a strange and magical tale involving talking animals, witches' curses, unicorns and dragons.

The Unlikely Ones takes many of the tropes of folklore and fantasy -- the quest, the party of adventurers, the dragon -- and then turns them on their head -- the quest is to get rid of precious gems; the party of adventurers is a hunched girl, a rusty knight and a group of animals; the dragon is . . . well, you'll have to read and find out. The result is an utterly charming and delightful novel that made me laugh and also sniffle a little at certain points. Plus, it has alliterative poetry in it, and I have no defense against that literary form as a Medievalist.

So, why am I knocking off two stars? Well, the novel is overwritten and drags towards a somewhat anticlimatic end. I found myself skimming through the last few chapters in impatience. I also was unconvinced by the romance between two of the characters, primarily because I found the male half of it entirely unattractive in every way. He was rude, patronising, misogynistic, and, most unforgivably of all, had an intermittent Irish Brogue that would make the Lucky Charms Leprechaun cry.

Nevertheless, a worthwhile and absorbing read.

Get this while it's back in print-don't miss it this time!.......2002-04-22

This is another story that reads like a fairy tale.
In a faraway cave a dragon lies in deep despair, for his life's quest had been to gather 5 priceless gems, and they have been stolen. He cannot return to his homeland without them.

In a dank cottage, 5 unlikely heroes are enslaved by an evil witch through very painful pebbles embedded in their flesh. They are Thing, a twisted girl deemed so hideous that she always wears a mask, Corby, the black crow, Puddy, the toad, Moglet, the timid kitten, and Pisky, the golden fish. They have no memory of their past and have learned over time to communicate amongst themselves.
When the villagers band together to burn the witch, our heroes escape and set out to solve the mystery of how to remove the pebbles that are causing them such agony. Along the way they meet two others harmed by the witch. The first is a hornless unicorn, whose whose horn was destroyed and companion was slain by the witch. The second is a knight cursed by the witch because he spurned her. His curse is to have rusty armor, a blunt sword, and all desire unfulfilled until he weds the ugliest creature in the land.
Many adventures follow and each member of the group meets a challenge that only they can face, until the mystery of the pebbles is solved. Unlike most books, the fulfillment of the quest is not quite the end, as in the real world each one must find their own happiness in the end.
A very good book with a bittersweet ending.

A Wonderful Novel of Fantasy and Adventure.......2002-01-28

If you want a book that has adventure and danger, humor and sorrow, despair and enlightenment, then you must read this book! I first read this book many years ago and I've reread it so many times I have worn out my original hardback. Mary Brown captures perfectly the trials and tribulations of a small band of misfit adventurers who struggle to overcome their individual debilities - and with the support of their magical friends, break the witch's curse forever! My favorite authors include Stephen Donaldson, Mercedes Lackey, and ofcourse J.R.R. Tolkien. In THE UNLIKELY ONES, Mary Brown has created intriguing and likeable characters; human, animal and magical, who struggle to overcome overwhelming obstacles and their own inner demons to show us that love and friendship can overcome anything! This is a charming tale filled with love; poignant and strong. You won't be disappointed.

Desenmascarada (Unveiled: Tamar. One of five unlikely women who changed eternity)

Average customer rating:

Bible character brought to life!

Desenmascarada (Unveiled: Tamar. One of five unlikely women who changed eternity)
Francine Rivers
Manufacturer: Vida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0829738908

Book Description

SPANISH EDITION. Tamar. Betrayed by the men who controlled her future, she fought for her rights and believed in the love of God.

Customer Reviews:

Bible character brought to life!.......2006-03-27

This story about Tamar brought the Biblical character alive for me. I had known the basic story. She married an evil man, was given to another evil man, and finally had a child by deceiving her father-in-law.
What I hadn't realized that women's main role back then was to have children. If you couldn't have children you were basically a failure. This story also really brought out the justness of God. God has several atributes but it was awesome to see how when things looked so unfair for Tamar, God blessed her. I read this book in one day because it was so gripping that I could almost feel the injustness that Tamar felt.
I HIGHLY recommend you buy this book, however it can be somewhat graphic so I wouldn't recommend it to younger readers. One of the best books I have ever read. Rivers does it again.

Electric Dreams: One Unlikely Team of Kids and The Race to Build the Car of the Future

Average customer rating:

Awesome Book
An Awsome Read
What a wonderful story!
Synchromesh: Perfect match-up of story and writer
An exciting and true story of determination and true grit

Electric Dreams: One Unlikely Team of Kids and The Race to Build the Car of the Future
Caroline Kettlewell
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Racing | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Electric & Hybrid | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Motor Sports | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0786712716

Book Description

When Berkeley graduate Eric Ryan was sent by Teach for America to a hardscrabble high school in the heart of North Carolina's NASCAR country, he didn't count on Harold Miller - a big guy with a big laugh and a tarheel accent as thick as sorghum syrup - sticking his head into his class one morning and announcing, "Hey Mr. Ryan, we're gonna build an electric car." Two regional utilities had challenged a group of elite schools throughout the South to design and build battery-powered electric vehicles to be judged during a final contest at NASCAR's Richmond International Raceway. Although Ryan's underprivileged high school was not on the list, Miller managed to squeak them in. With a Ford Escort rescued from the compacter, a few hundred pounds of scavenged golf cart batteries, a local minor league NASCAR driver as coach, and the local constabulary looking the other way as the reborn "Shocker" began careening over back roads on test runs, the kids get their pasted-together dark horse to the big contest in Richmond. Electric Dreams offers drama built on marvelous small-town characters, and a story of never-say-die invention which would make North Carolina's other pioneers, the Wright Brothers, proud.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Book.......2007-03-09

This was a wonderful book. She portrayed Miller & Ryan perfectly. I had the wonderful opportunity of being a member of the NEAT the year after the events in her book took place. She captured every detail perfectly and I was able to relive a wonderful part of my life. Once you pick up this book you will not be able to put it down until you have read the last page!!

An Awsome Read.......2006-10-13

As a member of the EV team at Northamton-East, Caroline Kettlewell made me feel the whole adventure all over again. It was like she took what I saw and felt and put words to it. I am so glad someone told this story, that other people get to read our stugale to the top. If you like to cheer for the underdog you need to read this book. Bryan T Ferguson "the man who drove to the record"

What a wonderful story!.......2006-08-22

I was sent the book by family - maybe because of the NASCAR connection. I started it on a plane trip to the east coast and finished it, with tears in my eyes, on the way home 2 days later. You start pulling for the kids in the story from the start and share all the ups and downs as they meet each challenge that faces them. What we need is more teachers like Eric Ryan! I highly recommend the book for anyone who likes pulling for the underdog.

Synchromesh: Perfect match-up of story and writer.......2006-06-09

How can a story about electric cars bring tears to your eyes, even when you're reading it for the sixth time? Not only is the story riveting, but the writing is a pleasure. As in the works of Tracy Kidder and John McPhee, some authors and stories are made for each other. But neither of those Pulitzer Prize winners ever made me cry. This is a book to be read multiple times - for the inspiration, for the use of words, for the drama, for the joy.

An exciting and true story of determination and true grit.......2005-03-11

Berkeley graduate Eric Ryan's journey to North Carolina to an improvised high school where his encounter with Harold Miller would lead to an electric car's design and development would change his life. Electric Dreams: One Unlikely Team Of Kids And The Race To Build The Car Of The Future documents how an unlikely band of kids would build the car of the future in the heart of NASCAR country, beating the odds to win a high school competition. An exciting and true story of determination and true grit - and fast cars.

The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt: The Astonishing and Unlikely True Story of One of the Twentieth Century's Greatest Paleontological Discoveries

Average customer rating:

Captivating story of discoveries and losses.
WONDERFUL stories

The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt: The Astonishing and Unlikely True Story of One of the Twentieth Century's Greatest Paleontological Discoveries
William Nothdurft
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt

ASIN: 0375759794
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Book Description

In 1911, Dr. Ernst Stromer led an expedition to Egypt’s Bahariya Oasis in the Sahara and discovered four new species of dinosaurs, including the Tyrannosaurus rex–size predator Spinosaurus. But tragically, all his work was incinerated in 1944 during the Allied bombing of Munich.

In 1999, Josh Smith, then a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, took his brilliant, precocious team to Egypt under the direction of world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Peter Dodson and blundered onto an archaeological site that yielded awe-inspiring results: all of Dr. Stromer’s early findings, and also an entirely new genus of dinosaur, Paralititan stromeri, one of the largest creatures ever to inhabit the planet.

Customer Reviews:

Captivating story of discoveries and losses........2005-09-21

The search for dinosaur fossils amid sandstorms and desert heat is anything but dry in this lively story of the excavation in January, 2000, of a site in the western Egyptian desert, partially excavated by Ernst Stromer in 1911, but untouched since then. Nothdurft, a professional writer, working in concert with Josh Smith, the young paleontologist who was the team leader of the January, 2000, dig, tells the stories of both the 1911 and the 2000 excavations, along with the fossil discoveries made by each group.

Stromer, a German aristocrat and meticulous paleontologist, found the fossils of four unique, 95-million-year-old dinosaurs in Bahariya in 1911, spent twenty years analyzing them, and then supervised the fossils' installation at the Bavarian State College of Paleontology and Historical Geology in Munich. In April, 1944, everything was lost in the allied bombing of Munich. The story of Stromer's efforts, now almost forgotten, alternates with that of Smith and his group of young Ph.D's from the University of Pennsylvania, who hope to find additional fossils in the same area in January, 2000.

Financed by a Los Angeles film company making a documentary, the crew ultimately unearths a 80 - 100 ton new dinosaur species, discovering in the process that at least two other equally gigantic dinosaur species shared space with this titan. How this desert area could support three such huge species becomes the question for the geologists on the trip, a mystery which Nothdurft imbues with immediacy and great excitement as they examine the confusing strata for clues.

Nothdurft excels in characterizing the paleontologists and geologists so that the reader can easily imagine participating in the dig along with them. His narrative is fast-paced and full of memorable detail--depictions of Bahariya, with its 130-degree heat and its scorpions, the excitement of the young researchers as they uncover new fossils, and their puzzlement at the paradoxes which unfold. With likeable researchers, and photos and drawings which make their discoveries come alive, this is a wonderful introduction to the challenges of on-site research, the scientific methods of the crew, and the respect with which they regard the past. Ultimately, even the almost-forgotten Ernst Stromer shares in their discoveries. Mary Whipple

WONDERFUL stories.......2004-08-27

In essence, this is two stories about the discovery and then the rediscovery of dinosaur bones in the Western Desert of Egypt. Past and present are skillfully blended together, and the scientific mumbo-jumbo is kept to a minimum. Highly recommended.

HISTORY OF A NATION OF ONE: AN UNLIKELY MEMOIR

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HISTORY OF A NATION OF ONE: AN UNLIKELY MEMOIR
JECON GREGORY
Manufacturer: HARCOURT BRACE & WORLD, INC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OEGPQK

The Unlikely Adventures of Ranulf the Unready: Book One A Mostly Ungrand Grand Tour

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The Unlikely Adventures of Ranulf the Unready: Book One A Mostly Ungrand Grand Tour
Adam Dumphy
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1420817825

Book Description

Introducing Ranulf, "the unready", fictional descendant of Ethelred "the unready" a medieval Saxon Kinglet. Ranny, Seventh Viscount Lindley is tour guide for some troubled friends through the Balkans in 1914. There is Dimitrov and his bomb, the nicest Nihilist anyone could hope to meet but troubled at his girl friend Revolta's late nights out "at the library". Svetislof a fish truck driver/poet is troubled as his wife understands him but his mistress does not. And Princess Ireana of Illyria, disguised as a lady's maid but troubled to find the frequent bows of a maid before royalty causes leg cramps and gives unlimited opportunity to any butler with a penchant for pinching. And others. A parody of novels of the 1920s, intended to amuse.

An Unlikely Journey: Book One of Raven's Heart

Average customer rating:

Excellent Reading
Raven's Heart
A Likely Read
A DIFFERENT KIND OF FANTASY STORY
A book with heart

An Unlikely Journey: Book One of Raven's Heart
Matthew Verish , and Stefanie Verish
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0595879829

Book Description

"Tomorrow I will embark upon a journey which may or may not reveal to me the answers I have been seeking. What happens afterwards, I have yet to decide. Will I continue seeking knowledge pertaining to my people's past, or will I come home to you, the woman who I will have abandoned?"

Exiled from his homeland of Markanturos for trying to instill the idea of racial unity, Arcturus has settled in the Human kingdom of Belorn with his betrothed, Eribeth. But his heart remains unsettled, and his desire to return home is great. In his personal quest to understand his banishment, he becomes the leader of a mismatched group of travelers, each with his or her own underlying ambitions.

The group's journey is unexpectedly extended when an enigmatic wizard sends them on a dangerous mission to recover a magically enchanted stone known as Raven's Heart before it falls into the wrong hands. Now entangled in the midst of a thickening plot, they struggle to accomplish their goal. Will each of them be able to set aside his or her personal motives to ensure the group's survival, or will they fail before the culmination of their quest can be realized?

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Reading.......2007-07-23

An Unlikely Journey is an adventure you do not want to miss. The characters & story draw you into the world of Secramore until the last word is read. Best I've read since Stephen Kings Dark Tower Series!
Dont miss out on a superb story!
Melissa Adkins

Raven's Heart.......2007-06-29

Excellent! I can't wait for the second book. Do you Know when it will be available.

A Likely Read.......2007-05-27

I usually keep my fantasy reading in the realm of ideas sprung from the minds of George Lucas or Chuck Palahniuk, but made an exception for An Unlikely Journey. I'm glad I did. The novel, while intimidating in size for a first effort, is a quick read while not lacking in scope or detail. The narrative is easily absorbed and you truly feel as though you are along for the ride. Despite the otherworldly nature of the setting and characters, I found the book to be believable, true-to-life, and earnest in its simple, yet detailed, tale of what can happen when you set out to accomplish your goals. I found the characters to be more than accommodating to my own experiences as an amateur traveler, and found the book's team of adventurers sharing many of my own thoughts and trials in their attempts to discover who they are and where they belong. I absolutely loved the use of vernacular in the dialogue and cannot wait to finish the tale in what I wish will be a rapidly released part two. I hope to see this adventure someday on the big screen and pray Hollywood will do justice to the work these authors have set forth.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF FANTASY STORY.......2007-05-22

BY NATURE I AM NOT A FANTASY STORY READER, BUT THIS ONE REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE! "AN UNLIKELY JOURNEY" PULLED ME INTO A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD THAT MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS PART OF THEIR GROUP, NOT JUST SOMEONE THAT WAS READING ABOUT THEM. THE STORY IS SOLID AND WELL WRITTEN. I TRUELY ENJOYED THIS FIRST BOOK, AND LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE SECOND PART. CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE FINE YOUNG AUTHORS!

A book with heart.......2007-05-21

This is a great book! Well written and thought out.
The variety of characters and interaction between them left me with a sense of wonder and I found myself daydreaming about being in the land of Secramore.
Although at first it seems like another Lord of the Rings type book it quickly sets itself apart and builds its own world.
The only down side is that I'm now anxiously awaiting part 2

Average customer rating:

THE UNLIKELY ONES
Mary Brown
Manufacturer: Century Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0712695168

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The Unlikely Ones
Mary Brown
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKXIH8

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