I Feel, In The End,

When I Was Young, I Was Religious.

By Far The Most Important Factor In The Success Or Failure Of Any School, Far More Important Than Tests Or Standards Or Business-model Methods Of Accountability, Is Simply Attracting The Best-educated, Most Exciting Young People Into Urban Schools And Keeping Them There.

I Wrote The First Book, And I Thought People Would Say: 'separate And Unequal Schools In The City Of Boston? I Didn't Know That. Let's Go Out And Fix It.'

You Have To Remember. . .that For This Little Boy Whom You Have Met, His Life Is Just As Important To Him, As Your Life Is To You. No Matter How Insufficient Or How Shabby It May Seem To Some, It Is The Only One He Has.

Good Teachers Don't Approach A Child Of This Age With Overzealousness Or With Destructive Conscientiousness. They're Not Drill-masters In The Military Or Floor Managers In A Production System. They Are Specialists In Opening Small Packages. They Give The String A Tug But Do It Carefully. They Don't Yet Know What's In The Box. They Don't Know If It's Breakable.