lustrations of the points being made by Wood.
Another positive characteristic that enhances the flow and readability of the book is Wood's gift for setting the scene. That is, he describes a situation in such well-written detail that the reader can almost see and feel the situation about which he is discussing. An example of this can be seen in his introduction to Chapter Four, "Life in the Classroom."
In his opening remarks to this chapter, Wood writes:
It's a cold, gray, Saturday in early spring, and the wind whips through the wooded Appalachian valley carrying the voices of Bill Elasky and his sixth graders down through the hollow. They are in search of a very special water sample for their class project on water quality. (p. 120)
Writing such as this makes reading the book pleasant and also gives the reader a realistic feeling for what is going on with the people (teachers, administrators, students) about whom Wood is writing.
Another excellent feature of this book is that although it presents a wide range of information about several different educators working at several different kinds of schools, the book offers a summary chapter that condenses all of its major points. This chapter, "Creating the Schools Our Children Deserve," is very good in that it provides a comprehensive review of every factor observed to enhance school excellence and effectiveness.
The factors reviewed and summarized in the chapter involve school size and how it can be used to improve the quality of education, principal leadership and school decision-making and ways in which these agents can facilitate reform. In addition, several steps that can be used to turn theory into concrete, usable steps methods that schools can take to facilitate improvement are also delineated.
Moreover, there is a summary of the various obstacles schools will face in their efforts to implement changes and reforms along with brief statements abo...