Tom Vander Ark praises Turnaround’s Approach in Education Week

Tom Vander Ark’s blog post in Education Week highlights Paul Tough’s book “How Children Succeed.” Tough is quoted in saying, “We don’t teach the most important skills,” a list that includes “persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and self-confidence.” The book highlights a series of organizations, including Turnaround for Children, working to find a solution.

Here is an excerpt:

“Dr. Pamela Cantor worked with teachers and children in war-torn countries in the 1990s. After September 11, 2001, New York Chancellor Harold Levy asked Dr. Cantor to lead efforts to support children traumatized by the experience of 9/11. She observed that poverty inflicts a steady stream of trauma on children and packed everything she learned about working with children in crisis into a school improvement approach called Turnaround for Children. Like Heckman, she observed a lack of connection between adults and children is a widespread problem for many students that grow up in poverty. This is because high poverty schools are not designed to establish the culture, teacher practices and support that would forge strong connections between adults and children.”

Click here to read Tom Vander Ark’s blog on Education Week.