Wildflowers by Jonathan P Raymond

Wildflowers by Jonathan P Raymond

Wildflowers is both one man's journey into the joys and sorrows of leading a large urban school district in the 21^st century, and a gripping, highly informative guide to transforming America's public schools. Every child, Jonathan Raymond believes, is as exceptional and unique as a wildflower, able to adapt and grow even in the face of adverse conditions. As Superintendent of a district beset by budget cuts and neglect, Raymond spearheaded innovative, radical changes that raised test scores and graduation rates, and made failing schools succeed.

Whether you are a parent, educator, policy maker, or concerned taxpayer, your assumptions about public education will melt away as Raymond sets aside ideology to focus on the nonpartisan, evidence-based promise of Whole Child education. This child-centered approach, which once made American public schools a source of national pride, was later abandoned by policymakers with no understanding of how children really learn. Raymond's brave stand against top-down bureaucracy and teaching to the test led to controversy and even law suits. Driven by his unwavering commitment to children, families, and local communities, he rallied students, parents and teachers, pushing the boundaries to make real change happen. His story is a model for what true leadership in education looks like.

Raymond's riveting first-person account of how to reignite the potential of our youth - regardless of where they live or how much money their parents make - gives every American the tools, insights, and inspiration to get involved and take a stand on an issue critical to our country's future.

All proceeds from the sale of Wildflowers will be donated to advance Whole Child education. For more information, visit www.wholechildchallenge.org.

Raymond, Jonathan P.: - On one his first days on the job in 2009, Jonathan Raymond recalls a parent imploring him to please take risks for kids. He had just come on board as Superintendent of Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), one of the top 1% of largest school districts in the country and one of the most impoverished and ethnically diverse. During his 4.5-year tenure, those were words he vowed to live by. An outsider to education by trade (formerly a labor law attorney and non-profit leader) but a passionate advocate for equity and system-wide change, Raymond implemented bold initiatives to transform the school district around a vision that focused on supporting the whole child. Highlights included transforming some of the district's poorest performing schools in the neediest neighborhoods to some of the highest performing, raising graduation rates, expanding early education, summer learning programs, dual-language programs, college and career pathways, and introducing salad bars and healthier meals, and social and emotional learning to the curriculum. His journey in Sacramento was about changing the culture in the neediest schools and throughout the school district to one of excellence and demonstrating, in a time of great financial stress, that we can do something dramatic and bold when kids' futures are at stake. Raymond now serves as President of the Stuart Foundation, a California-based private foundation focused on systemic and sustained change in public education, under the guiding principle of an education system that values the Whole Child by strengthening the relationships between students, educators, families, and communities.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781732141605
ISBN 10	1732141606
Title	Wildflowers
Author	Jonathan P Raymond
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Wildflower Press
Year published	2018-05-04
Number of pages	156
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.