Whatever It Takes

To ensure that all children get an equitable, excellent education, what would it take?

To eradicate poverty in the world's wealthiest, most powerful nation, what would it take?

What does it take to escape vicious cycles and literally change our world?

What would it take?

Paul Tough's exposition attempts to answer this question with his book, "Whatever It Takes." Tough's exploration of Geoffrey Canada's "quest to change Harlem and America" is, to say the least, stirring and provocative. At most, it's an in-depth look into one person's work that, brought to scale, can truly change the face of education in America and, over time, even eradicate poverty.

I've been reading this book on and off since last spring. It's an incredible story, but I could only take it in small doses; it brought up so much thinking and emotion that I sometimes just had to sit back and reflect. I had to set it to the side and try and examine my own mindsets and practices. And, I had to do whatever it took to do my own job well (which doesn't always allow for pleasure reading, as much as I try).

Tough reported on Harlem for The New York Times Magazine and Time Magazine. He is considered a prominent journalist covering education, poverty, and the achievement gap, which makes this somewhat of a capstone piece. He has been the foremost reporter on Geoffrey Canada's leadership in these areas through the creation and work of the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ). Today, the Zone covers over 100 blocks of Harlem in Manhattan's northern reaches. It operates to eradicate poverty by viewing it similarly to a disease. To fully recover from the disease, all symptoms must not only be recognized, but fully treated and healed. Therefore, the HCZ has programs to address childhood development, parenting, counseling, after school activities, and gang and drug resistance. It has also founded charter schools in Harlem to raise the bar on education in the neighborhood. When campaigning in 2008, President Obama promised to adapt the HCZ framework in 20 cities during his tenure to chip away at the problem of American poverty.

Of course, curing the disease of poverty and ensuring excellence in all facets of a child's life isn't easy. If it were, we wouldn't face the problems we do, right? Harlem wouldn't need the Zone, nor would Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Tulsa, right? It's not easy. We know that poverty exists, and we know that the achievement gap exists. We know that children in this country are not receiving the best possible: at home, at school, or in life. We know problems exist. For so long, though, the discussion about these issues focused on just the problems themselves. This discussion made it seem like the obstacles were insurmountable, that the problems were inevitable and insolvent.

Geoffrey Canada believes otherwise. His HCZ is focused on solutions. These are solvable issues. The disease is curable if all symptoms are addressed and attacked and allowed to heal and it's preventable if the right measures are in place. This book outlines every aspect of the HCZ and its rocky road to solutions. It acknowledges the HCZ as a continued work in progress, but it's milestones have proven that solutions are not only possible, but probable.

Through Baby College, it's preparing parents to be supportive and effective so that their children can have a great start in life and continued nurturing throughout life. From cradle to college, children in Harlem can be intricately educated so as to maximize their development and opportunities. The Promise Academy charter system in Harlem is focused on providing an excellent education to all its students, regardless of their background or abilities. With the support of public and private partnerships, it has lived up to the "whatever it takes" philosophy to raise the bar in Harlem.

So what can we do with this outside of Harlem? Other communities face similar issues and are part of the same vicious cycle that seems so pronounced in Harlem. From my Institute experience in Washington Heights, NY, all the way to Tulsa...the problems exist. First and foremost, the framework and philosophy in Harlem needs to be applied, at scale, to other communities. While we're in the interim, and in understanding that all cities are different, we need to see what else it can take.

In Tulsa, I think the wheels are in motion. Between the community school movement, TPS' move toward effective teaching and more rigorous content, we are trying to raise the bar in education and connect it to community. It's a long, gradual process, however, the effects of which may not be felt for years to come.

There is also the 744 measure on the ballot, which would give more resources to schools and communities to improve the quality of education for Oklahoma's students. If that passes, not only will it help to provide for our kids, it will give us a tremendous opportunity to rethink how money is spent in education and how that connects to student achievement. If we sincerely think of "whatever it takes" to get the job done, it can be done.

This probably seems pretty abstract, even lofty. I think it's all possible, but it will take a lot of work from a lot of people. The first step, for all of us, may be to root ourselves in a common mindset: that we must do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes.

Not convinced? Start with the book. Then, treat its contents like a manual we can adapt to solve our nation's greatest injustices. In the very least, it's a starting point. As Paul Tough concludes, "To my mind, the essential ingredient in the Harlem Children's Zone is the particular set of ideas and practices that Geoffrey Canada has championed. If future replication models can learn from the Zone's accomplishments and avoid its mistakes, I believe they won't just match the level of success he has achieved thus far in Harlem, but they may go well beyond it."

We can, so let's do: whatever it takes.

~MJ