How to Walk to School: Blueprint for a Neighborhood School Renaissance

by Susan Kurland, Jacqueline Edelberg, Arne Duncan (Foreword)

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Parenting

180 pages, Hardcover

First published July 16, 2009

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of ambitious parents and principal? yes. Widely applicable in its specifics to improving the American school system? mmmm, not so much. Should we worry that Arne Duncan and Rahm Emmanuel are touting it as a model in a state with as dysfunctional of an educational funding system as Illinois and a city as racially and socioeconomically segregated as Chicago? probably. It would be great if there could be as enthusiastic a level of involvement of parents in all communities as there was (and presumably still is) at Nettlehorst, and it's great to see white middle-class families who a generation (or even a decade) earlier would have automatically left the city when it was time to send their children to school, instead stay and invest in the public school system. Nonetheless, I think it's depressing and short-sighted to think that community involvement in a neighborhood public school is more valuable than political organizing in improving education. (The description of the legislative failure of A+ Illinois in 2007 at the end of chapter 6 seemed particularly caustic.) Yes, it is less selfish than investing only in your own child's (and a few other equally socioeconomically lucky children's) education by sending them to a private school. But, if your concerns about education still extend no further than your own child's public school (which is disproportionately richer, whiter, and better run than most of the rest of the city school system), it's not much of a great moral/ethical advance. They don't completely sugarcoat the demographic shifts that contributed to their success, but there's definitely a whiff of fundamental attribution error to the narrative. Basically, a general disclaimer should probably apply, if you aren't living in a rapidly gentrifying urban neighborhood, this blueprint may not be readily transferrable to your actual neighborhood school.

One final trivial criticism, for the love of god, who encouraged the use of the word "supermom" as an appositive phrase for nearly every woman in the book? Shudder.

[Geoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story provides yet another trajectory for improving public schools as seen through reforms made at a Chicago elementary school. However, the author struggles to show how this model can be used by a school community with a different set of resources than the largely middle-class Lakeview neighborhood.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My mom gave me this book (signed by the authors) and I was excited to read it. I had heard about the rebirth of Nettelhorst, and heard good things about it from a colleague whose daughter attends the school. The story is interesting and inspiring, and scary as hell.

The authors come off like the bitchy playground moms. The "reformers", as they like to call themselves, could not care less who was standing in the way of their vision for Nettelhorst, friend or foe. The reformers got what they wanted in the end - a perfect school for their perfect kids - but they must have alienated COUNTLESS people in the process. I'm sure that Nettelhorst is a better school for all of their hard work and dedication (which should be applauded) but I'm also sure that it lost any diversity whatsoever.

So kudos to the "reformers" for getting the job done, but there must be a more equitable and less ruthless way of doing it. They aren't even embarassed at their tactics - the book reads like a bragging session about just how bitchy and uncompromising they can be.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to start....?
-As my witty friends point out, this is pretty much an advertisement for the benefits of gentrification. But I mean, they say at least 30 times throughout the book that this is good for all students, not just the rich white ones, so that makes it true, right??
-The writing is pretty horrible, and it's overly ironic that they talk about how they just needed to fix the typos in the school's memos to make them better - in a book FULL of typos. Let's hope they did a better job on the flyers than on this MAJORLY PUBLISHED book.
-The photos of the murals in the school were really pretty.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE education! And I believe parents play an immeasurable role.

[Vanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our neighborhood school - an amazing story. I had heard lots of rumors and stories in our neighborhood, so it's great to read about the journey from one of the parents and the principal of the school

UPDATE - a very inspirational story of how local schools can be turned around with the involvement of the local community (even if their kids don't go to school there!!!). It makes me hopeful to send our kids there one day

[Chandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book two stars because I like the idea that parents should be involved in their childrens education but the book was poorly written.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was of particular interest to me as a Lakeview resident, but I also found it to be a quick and compelling read applicable beyond its specific context of turning around a neighborhood public school. The book is written for a general audience so doesn’t use specific jargon or theory, but the authors illustrated a lot of important lessons in movement building, leadership, change management, urban education, and even tactical urbanism. Perhaps there will be a follow-up once a current group of active parents and neighbors successfully changes the streets in this area to be less car centric, so more families feel safe walking and biking to school!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly readable.

[Elizabeth Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, the book was a must-read, and a fascinating bit of inspiration, since I've been trying to do the same thing at our local school in LA for almost three years now. But I agree with others here who take issue with the book's claim to be a "blueprint" for how to do this at other schools. The folks at Nettlehorst had some HUGE advantages going into their reform effort that people at other urban neighborhood schools probably don't have. To name just three: a fabulous, energetic, supportive and welcoming principal...a neighborhood chock full of businesses willing to partner with the school...and a "longstanding" "Friends of..." fundraising group. We have none of these at our school and I question whether the Nettlehorst folks would have been anywhere near as successful, or in anywhere near the short amount of time, if they lacked any of these key elements. Also, as others have noted, it really is a story of gentrification. The authors seem almost mystified when they choose not to focus on test scores, but scores go up anyway as their other improvement efforts take hold. But what was clearly happening as they gradually convinced more middle class neighborhood families to enroll their kids was gentrification of the school's population. And as student family incomes rise, so do test scores - this has been proven in many research studies. It's not such a big mystery. And, yes, even the low income kids' scores will rise because a rising tide tends to float all boats. So although I sincerely applaud the Nettlehorst turnaround and the effort that went into it (I do know, firsthand, how hard it is), I can't quite idolize the reformers as much as the book seems to want me to. I'm actually torn between wanting to buy about 20 copies for our school's staff, neighbors and parents...and being embarrassed to do so because of its wealthy-white-folks-as-saviors tone.

[Bruce Beal · Rating 5 out of 5]

... or "So this is how I came to have a Farmer's Market in my diverse urban neighborhood!"

How to Walk to School: Blueprint for a Neighborhood Renaissance - Having lived in East Lakeview, Chicago, IL for the last decade, I can testify that I have walked past the Nettelhorst School literally hundreds of times and not given it a thought, other than to admire its classical red-brick schoolhouse architecture. Like the vast majority of East Lakeview folks, I don't have school aged children - so perhaps we can be forgiven for having neglected our neighborhood elementary school. Thank goodness the authors of this book did not do likewise. Their efforts of revitalize our local school have benefited many of us beyond the ranks of this small band of neighborhood's parents, who chronicle their efforts in this nicely written small book.

I must confess that I have benefited from the improvements at the school, especially the public art, the Farmer's Market and the presence of happy kids on the playground, for several years now - without even remotely considering how hard some of my neighbors had been working to make all of that possible. What they have done - for the benefit of their children and the community as a whole - is summarized in this book. It is a beautiful testimony to the power of what a small group of people can do to restore the promise of public education. Their personal commitment, the candid details of their struggles with the realities of reforming public education in an urban setting, and their dedication to the ideals of a community school - are nothing short of awe inspiring.

If you love and believe in public education, reading this book may well force you to ask yourself, "What have I done for my local public school lately."

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the aspect of this book where a team came together to do a job and make something better. I would recommend this book to people who are trying to tackle any big project as a team and want some pointers -- it really deals well with the principles of how to get people involved, get them to give of themselves, their time, money, etc.

I didn't like the aspect of this book that deals explicitly with the CPS educational system. I don't feel it gives enough arguments from enough points of views as to why the CPS system is as broken as they claim. It does show a very upper-middle class, gentrified point of view, and I understand why. But somewhere near the middle of the book, I had a hard time feeling like the parents weren't just pushing the "bad" kids out of their school and sending them back to be bad somewhere else. Even though their own, neighborhood kids benefited, how did any other kids? I don't know enough about education or CPS to really speak on this, though, so I'll just say it was a sort of gut feeling. To the book's credit, though, it wasn't about fixing all of CPS.

[Chris Aylott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring story of how eight determined mothers and one open-minded principal turned one of Chicago's worst elementary schools into what sounds like one of the best elementary schools in the country.

The book calls itself a blueprint, and it does present practical strategies for improving schools. Most of these boil down to "get involved, set goals, stay involved and follow through on the goals, and get help from every friend, neighbor, local business and charitable organization you can find." Which is a pretty good plan, when you think about it. The trick is to find enough ordinary people with the extraordinary will to carry the plan out over years of effort.

I don't think this is enough to make me turn around and send our daughter to the school down the street. The neighborhood school is a good school, but I really like the Montessori school she's in. On the other hand, this book does make me want to move closer to the school she's going to.

[Nicholas Husbye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an uncomfortable book for me. On one hand, I loved the tale of a neighborhood school coming back to life, revitalizing a beautiful building and bringing back into the heart of the community. On the other hand, I was disturbed at the rampant entitlement and unquestioning essence of the book. It often falls into tricky generalizations involving the teachers and community that betray the complex and nuanced process of changing a school around. It also fails to recognize that part of what made this turn around so successful is the fact that the parents were upper-middle class parents with a lot of social capital that they could translate into material, experiences, and connections to benefit the school. I'm doubtful that this blueprint, as it is called, could be applied to other schools where the parents are less well-off.

[Tara Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a personal note, I lived in this neighborhood while in college, so it was certainly interesting. I think it helped me see that changing a whole district can be an overwhelming thought to those of us that are new to the politics of urban education/school boards. This helped me see that assisting in my local neighborhood school is possible (whether or not my child is attending there yet). Unfortunately, I read this too late and our neighborhood school has been shut down in the last few months. But I feel I can bring what I learned from this book to any school my child attends. This is a good book of hope, a little on the too hopeful side, but hopeful nonetheless. It's a primer into urban educational systems and the changing demographics in cities.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read having taught in Chicago Public Schools when this school was first being overhauled. I appreciate how honestly it is written and the spirit and energy of the parents and principal. As a teacher, it's really helpful to know what "small touches" parents really look for and appreciate. I do wish there were some teacher perspectives added in the narrative, but overall glad I read this.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be incredibly pretentious and not at all inspiring. I am really disappointed in how "middle finger to the world" the Super 8 (or whatever the heck they called themselves) were towards staff and basically anyone who tried to keep them from doing what they wanted to do to Nettlehorst. I was really shocked by what I read. I was expecting something completely different and perhaps that kept me from really opening myself up to these authors.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sigh. I can't say that reading this was completely useless. There was some helpful advice buried in there. It was just so excruciating to read so much bitchiness and elitism and complete disregard for the points of view of anyone other than themselves, to the point of actually bragging about who they disenfranchised and drove away. I could use my copious notes on the book to go on and on, but instead I am going to see what the other neighborhood moms and I can do for our schools, our own way.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 4-star rating for people who live in Chicago or parents beginning to look into their children's schools.

I read this because it's around the corner from my apartment. It was really interesting but most of that interest was dependant on the locale. It is a nice story about neighborhood parents volunteering to improve their neighborhood elementary school.

[Vida · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inspiring story about the power of parents and the pivotal place of the principal of the school or any school. I could not put this down. It demonstrates who we are as Chicagoans and Americans. Any person related to a struggling school or any school (public or private) that just wants it get better should read this one.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an inspiring book but the "blueprint" is for a very specific set of circumstances. The neighborhood and school described in the book matches my own in many ways and I think a lot of what is found in the book will be helpful. The book raises, whether intentional or not, many issues of class and race.

[Norm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, and there were passages that were very informative. However, I was disappointed that in the end the book felt more like a feel-good session for the neighborhood moms than a blueprint for revitalizing local schools. I wanted to know more about Susan Kurland and the specific steps she took to work with the parents and the teachers, who were often at odds.

[Jessica Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a particularly well organized book. its hard to understand the timeline wjile reading. I also find the discussion of economic and racial diversity disheartening. it is almost dismissive of the feelings gentrification stir up in communities and never really addresses the issue in a satisfying way.

[Nettelhorst Parent · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children attend Nettelhorst. The work of the authors resulted in an amazing school, with lots of diversity. There are over 35 languages spoken in the school. Bringing the community into the school not only brought much needed additional resources, but also led to a community deeply invested in the success of the school. Job well done!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to hear thoughts from Fed Hill Prep moms regarding this book. Is this really possible for parents of kids in city schools to accomplish? Does the city neighborhood have to be pretty well gentrified for this to work?

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

True story of a group of parents who banded together to save their neighborhood public school. This book is a blueprint for a group that I'm involved in and reading it helped me see how they're structuring the group and how they're addressing things that the public should know about.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright. Useful for specific parents in specific city neighborhoods. I wish that all schools could be great because we as a society work for that goal, not because specific individuals work very hard to make specific schools great.

[Suzy M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting subject but poorly written.