Full Description
When two gutsy moms ventured inside Nettelhorst, their neighborhood's underutilized and struggling public elementary school, the new principal asked what it would take for them to enroll their children. Stunned by her candor, they returned the next day armed with an extensive wish list. The principal read their list and said "Well, let's get started, girls! It's going to be a busy year . . . "
How to Walk to School is the story—from the highs to the lows—of motivated neighborhood parents galvanizing and then organizing an entire community to take a leap of faith, transforming a challenged urban school into one of Chicago's best, virtually overnight.
The fate of public education is not beyond our control. In How to Walk to School, Susan Kurland, Nettelhorst's new and entrepreneurial principal, and Jacqueline Edelberg, the neighborhood mom, provide an accessible and honest blueprint for reclaiming the great public schools our children deserve.
Check out www.howtowalktoschool.com for more information.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Arne Duncan
Introduction
Chapter 1: Dream a Future: Identify Opportunities
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Capitalize on Desire
Chapter 3: Support Systems: Contract Services
Chapter 4: Academics: Raise the Bar
Chapter 5: Sell the Dream: Rebrand and Reposition
Chapter 6: Fundraising: Look Beyond a Climate of Care
Chapter 7: The Nettelhorst Blueprint
Afterword by Rahm Emanuel
Appendix A: Toolkit: How to Set-up a 501(c)(3)
Appendix B: How to Learn More
About the Authors
A Call to Action
Notes
