What School Could Be

Insights and Inspiration from Teachers Across America

By: Ted Dintersmith

Narrated by: Tom Perkins

Innovation expert Ted Dintersmith took an unprecedented trip across America, visiting all 50 states in a single school year. He originally set out to raise awareness about the urgent need to reimagine education to prepare students for a world marked by innovation, but America's teachers one-upped him.

All across the country, he met teachers in ordinary settings doing extraordinary things, creating innovative classrooms where children learn deeply and joyously as they gain purpose, agency, and real knowledge. Together, these new ways of teaching and learning offer a vision of what school could be and a model for transforming schools throughout the United States and beyond. Better yet, teachers and parents don't have to wait for the revolution to come from above. They can readily implement small changes that can make a big difference.

America's clock is ticking. Our archaic model of education trains our kids for a world that no longer exists, and accelerating advances in technology are eliminating millions of jobs. But the trailblazing of many American educators gives us reasons for hope. Capturing bold ideas from teachers and classrooms across America, What School Could Be provides a realistic, and profoundly optimistic, roadmap for creating cultures of innovation and real learning in all our schools.

©2018 Ted Dintersmith (P)2018 Tantor

Great book, massively insightful.

It is a superb book. The adventure the author went on gives unique insights into the state of American education. The insights he gains from relatively quick visits to each state are particularly impressive. Several of the more challenging systemic issues of education in the United States are examined within. The narration was fine, but not as compelling as if the author had read it.

Anything

My personal world philosophy rests, nestled inside my seed of belief that there’s nothing more important in life, than learning. Every moment that we’re alive, we’re continually learning, whether it’s conscious or occurring somewhere under the surface. Education and learning are seemingly synonymous, but clearly not one and the same. Through his passion, curiosity and an unyielding commitment to learn for the betterment of our society, Ted Dintersmith makes a compelling effort to bridge the gap, in my opinion, between what our education system teaches and what’s most important for young minds to learn, in preparation for successful, productive, and compassionate adulthood.

In short, to answer the question the title poses, the simple answer is... anything.

Best Book On EDU

This is flat out the best book to read if you see yourself as a potential change agent on your campus. And, visit InnovationPlaylist.org to gain a valuable resource as you move forward.

A bell-weather classic for every educator.

A non-negotiable staple for insight and innovation in our educational system. Listen to it. Hear it’s message.

Education Excellence

This book is a great read. It reviews what good schools aren’t and what they could be. It affirms that all students have potential, but the system defines them and categorizes them based on standardized tests. It encourages teachers to cultivate thinkers not test takers. It challenges leaders to spark innovative teaching rather than status quo informative teaching. I’m also left scratching my head about how to make real impactful change in a broken education system.