Inspiring story of the synergistic effect of pairing community with education.

Eric Schwarz tackled the problem of disadvantaged and low performing schools by thinking - what are they lacking that better schools have? Frequently the answer is money but Schwarz looked deeper than that. What stood out was that better schools had extended learning from the aquistion of skills outside the formal classroom plus an deep and functional social network that enhanced problem solving - think soccer mom or, in a more intense version, tiger mom. Schwarz came up with the novel solution that volunteers could perhaps fill that 'mom/parent' role - volunteers with specialized skills but not necessarily with teaching credentials. And the idea of Citizen Schools was born. Schwarz recruited a diverse group of volunteers spanning the gamut from business professional to retired persons and linked them with AmeriCorps (a program for recent college graduates). Together they formed a modified apprenticeship program that became a sort of second shift to the regular school day and provided the advantage that the disadvantaged students had been lacking.

I was quite impressed with the program and its implementation which was somewhat surprising as I had to overcome some personal prejudice once I discovered that Eric Schwarz was of the FAO Schwarz toy store family. I have a rather jaundiced opinion of do-gooders attempting to 'fix' education - often making the problem worse and more complicated through their meddling. Also I was leery of the extended school day idea - frequently the school day is taken up with 'busy' work and the last thing students need is more of the same old same old. But the Citizen Schools program addressed these concerns plus placing utmost emphasis on the vital issue of knowledge integration which, in my opinion, is sadly lacking in many public schools and which is key to making knowledge 'stick'.

Misgivings of the author aside, I do believe his program is sound and has far-reaching implications. My only other concern was that the program relied heavily on college attendance/graduation as a success metric. While college is wonderful it should not be counted as goal in and of itself. A better metric, in my opinion, would be the more practical and pragmatic goal of job aquisition and retention. With that caveat, excellent book, excellent program. While this book is obviously geared towards readers interested in education excellence it also has a great deal to say on the subject of social enterpeneurship making it a very worthwhile read for anyone with that bent. Recommended. ( )

This was a somewhat interesting memoir of the author's work in creating the Citizen Schools program. The book also spends a good deal of time advocating for the expansion of the program in low income neighborhoods across the country. The memoir piece is stronger than the advocacy piece which suffers from disjointed argumentation. A short book, it'd be even better at around 125 pages versus 200. Probably the same message could be put forth. ( )

Overall a great read. Part memoir (start up of Citizen Schools) and part recipe/what you can do to help.
As a teacher, I found some of it "well duh" and intriguing.
In essence, schools haven't changed their calendar in ages and once children leave in the early afternoon, they are on their own. For those with privilege, this means lessons, tutoring, and camps; however, since this additional learning time isn't available to all - thus widening the gap further. To ensure that all children have access and social opportunities, it can't be done during the school day.
I found it to be inspiring, enlightening, and enjoyed it. ( )

I tried to read this book but found it tiresome. The American family is in serious trouble. I find the achievement gap linked to that fact. Children in the United States are offered twelve years of free public education. Now this even comes with meals at school. Welfare programs decrease the incentive to work hard and achieve in school. You will be subsidized no matter what your work ethic. Whatever you subsidize you get more of. We are getting more children raised by young, single, uneducated mothers who do not value education. To make it worse the culture makes doing well in school to be seen as being inauthentic. Got to keep it real. So I do not look for the achievement gap to go down in the near future. The family is broken and so is American education. ( )

Part memoir, part sales pitch. Eric Schwarz (of F.A.O. Schwarz fame) chronicles his life and education, as well as his wife's, and tells us about how and why he started Citizen Schools, a program designed to supplement normal school days with after-school project-based learning and vocational training taught by local professionals. The remainder of the book consists of a (rather impressive) collection of success stories from schools, educators, and students that have partnered with Citizen Schools. Mr. Schwarz has had a great idea and it may help to close the achievement gap to some degree, but the reader should keep in mind that he IS selling a product in this book and most people, outside of teaching professionals, are going to lose interest after the first 3-4 chapters. ( )