Time to Learn: How to Create High Schools That Serve All Students

by George H. Wood, Theodore R. Sizer (Foreword)

More than one school's story, Time to Learn uses the story of Federal Hocking High School's metamorphosis as a case study for understanding the mechanisms of high-quality high school reform.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2005

Reviews

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book demonstrating what public schooling can look like. George Wood uses the experience of transforming his small semi-rural high school to demonstrate how high schools can be places for powerful learning for all students. He uses the particulars of this school to illustrate ideas that others can use in thinking about how to change their own schools. Many of the ideas used are similar to those used at Central Park East High School, and to the Coalition of Essential School principles.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of interesting things to think about in terms of how high school can be structured to be better for students. The suggestions made sense and felt right to me as a teacher. Examples and illustrations were helpful in thinking through how these ideas could be applied to my school. I think there's a lot to be learned here for anyone who works in/goes to a high school on a regular basis and definitely for people who are making decisions for or about high school education at any level.

The only thing that would've made this book better for me is more evidence, I think. There's nothing in here that I disagree with. I think it all makes sense, but I'm curious about two things in particular. 1) Results. I get that "test scores increased," but I'm more interested on a granular level (And did they just magically increase? Did they see a decrease in students who were scrambling to pass proficiency tests as seniors?). It seems that the school "feels better" and "works better." How exactly? What does that look like? Yes, schools are unique and the process is valuable and individual. However, I think there's also value in being able to enumerate the changes that occurred that lead to things feeling/working better. 2) There is an emphasis on buy-in and I do believe that they made a concerted effort to include everyone, but in those communities among all the staff and students and families, I would be stunned to find that no one was a holdout. I'd be interested to hear more from/about them. Were they won over? Why or why not?