Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives

by John B. King Jr.

Teacher By Teacher reflects the transformative power of public education. Both of Secretary King’s parents were career public school educators – his dad was a teacher and administrator and his mother was a teacher and school counselor. King’s mother passed away suddenly from a heart attack in October of his fourth grade year, and his dad – suffering from undiagnosed Alzheimer’s – passed by the time he was 12. Home was unstable and uncertain, but public school teachers never gave up on him, believed in him and saw his potential. They made school a safe, supportive and engaging place where King could just be a kid when he faced challenges at home. He moved around between different family members and schools. As a teenager, King was angry at his life’s circumstances and he got in trouble so often that he eventually got kicked out of high school. But while many could have seen a young Black and Puerto Rican kid whose life was in crisis and written him off, public school teachers, mentors, and a school counselor gave him a second chance.

Crises can be catalysts for change. This book is about overcoming challenges and the mentors who help us make it through them. Teacher By Teacher is a deeply personal love letter to all the teachers in our lives. But more than that, this book is about teaching not just teachers – and the transformative and impactful lessons of mentorship, especially for those who are underserved by public institutions and social systems in America. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Education

240 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who works in education policy and worked in the Obama administration, I was very excited to get an advanced reader copy of Teacher by Teacher from Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley.

Teacher by Teacher is a memoir, but King does an excellent job at weaving his own story in with the events of the world that impacted his trajectory. Despite knowing of King as Secretary, I was unaware of his background, and the struggles he endured - and overcame - as a child were quite remarkable and sobering. I appreciated his recognition of the mentors and teachers in his life who helped him achieve the success he had today - a reminder for all of us that none of us get where we are without a community.

I really appreciated that teachers were the key role players in this book, just as they have been in King’s life. Teachers took a front and center place here, offering an important reminder about the valuable role they play in our society as they shape and encourage future generations. It made me reflect on the teachers in my life that made an impact on me.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been impacted by a teacher who changed their viewpoint or trajectory in life - so, everyone? - and especially to educators themselves.

[Darren Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best critique I can offer. Consumed it in one day. 221 pages that were beautifully and powerfully expressed. No false notes anywhere. Grateful Secretary King committed his experiences to a book. Highly recommended as we’ve all had, hopefully, at least one teacher who had positively impacted our lives.

[tree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a free copy after hearing the author speak at an NYPL event - needless to say, a book exploring the various teachers we meet and ways we learn throughout our lives, is bound to move and inspire. It was a well written and easy read and I recommend with the hope that it inspires others as it did me

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

John B King actually impacted my life personally as I was a NY student when he was the education commissioner and still a student when he was secretary of education. Now I work at a charter school. Definitely an important resource in my journey of understanding of the common core which has gone through many stages since writing an essay in the blank space on my fourth grade state test about why I didn’t like it , studying it , studying about it , and finally teaching it. Weird to read about how he was actually a person with real things that happened to him and a life that mattered when at the time he was behind something I thought made school more boring, useless, and impersonal.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly readable book that vividly highlights to power of human relationships in education. The book is at once personal, informative, poignant. It is written with a humble sensibility and has lovely moments of warm humor as well. I really loved that even as the author, John King, has soared to incredible heights in the educational landscape, he remains convinced at the core of all of his policy decision making, that the relationship between student and teacher is the key to it all. Additionally, I found King’s own educational journey, one intertwined with both public and private educational stops, fascinating, as each side informs his work as an adult educational professional. A book that we all can enjoy and learn from.

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 3 out of 5]

John B. King lost his mother to a fatal heart attack when he was eight years old. His father was in is 70s and had undiagnosed dementia. John's life at home was disastrous but fortunately he had teachers who believed in him. King describes these teachers as those who ask what chance they could give students rather than what chance did their students have in succeeding.

King's father died when he was twelve. He spent several years bouncing between various relatives' homes. King went on to get degrees from Harvard, Columbia, and Yale. He became the first black and the first Puerto Rican commissioner of education for New York State and he served in President Obama's cabinet as the Secretary of Education.

Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives is King's memoir about the power of teachers to shape lives.

Based on the title, I mistakenly thought it would be a collection of stories about teachers who have changed different people's lives. Perhaps the tagline should be The People Who Changed My Life.

[Katina Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof I’m conflicted about this one. King’s path is impressive and inspiring, and he’s done a lot of work that has undoubtedly made a positive difference for some students and families. But the unquestioned emphasis on charter schools is hard to see. The resources that have been poured into networks like Uncommon Schools take away from the public system and can make it harder for community schools to find their footing. The track record of many such schools, including those in the Uncommon network, may show strong test scores, but they also have high rates of suspension and don’t always provide equitable educations for kids with special needs. It’s a major point of frustration for me in NYC school policy, and he has had an active hand in shaping it.

The writing feels very careful to me, and I can’t help but feel that a lot was glossed over in favor of creating a tidy narrative. Mark Twain, Andover, Harvard, Yale—a remarkable lineup of elite, enormously selective schools. But never a moment’s concern about cost? Or how different these experiences are from 99% of students? I liked hearing about his teachers in the early years, and at a book event he spoke compellingly about the power of mentorship, but I just don’t see how that carries forward into his policy.

[JoLisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just go read it now.

It's a biography of former Secretary John King, but it told through the lens of the teachers and people who made a difference in his life and how he sees the world.

Teachers, this quote especially spoke to me about the difference you make each day,

"We spend our lives learning, and every lesson shapes us in some way. Part of our hunger for knowledge is to find our place in this world, to understand who we are, and who we might become.
There are teachers who touch our lives with intention, like Mr.
Osterweil or my Uncle Hal, and those who are unexpected, like Louis Hutt, the charismatic CPA who made me appreciate the power of authenticity. They can be ordinary people we encounter on our journey for a fleeting moment, or extraordinary ones who stay with us for a lifetime. One of them was there to bear witness when I became the tenth US Secretary of Education."

If you’ve ever wondered whether your work matters, this book answers that question.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profoundly touching memoir using Secretary King’s experience overcoming trauma as a child to highlight the critical role teachers serve in our lives as we’re figuring out who we are. This is also a story of a dedicated public servant who has remained steadfastly committed to making education equitable for all. Highly recommend Teacher by Teacher to everyone, particularly those interested in pursuing education policy as a career.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

John King was one of my first bosses for a brief period before he became Deputy Chancellor in NY. He's an inspiration person who I've seen do great work in many roles now and it was fascinating and moving to get to know him better through this book. It is slightly false advertising as this is a straightforward memoir of someone who had some influential teachers, rather than a book about teachers per se. It makes me assume he is going to be running for something again soon...

[Steve Voiles]

King was the Sec. of Education under Obama. The first black to do so. This is his autobiography. Interesting history about his rise from a meager upbringing and the role models that shaped his attitudes. He was a very progressive and founded some extremely successful schools.

The book is more about educational policy and administration than about the actual student/teacher process.

The black history is particularly interesting and informative for white people like me.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long admired John King but knew very little of his personal story and journey. In an easy-to-read memoir King weaves his poignant personal experiences, how his teachers literally shaped his path, and how he made the difference for millions of students in the US.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautiful- honest, reflective, insightful.

[Claire McEachern · Rating 4 out of 5]

“the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor of spending some time with Dr. John King and was so excited to read this. What an amazing story of resilience, passion and commitment to education.

[Andrew Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational for anyone passionate about American education.