What Went Right

Roberta Israeloff and George McDermott have allowed readers an intellectually voyeuristic look into their thinking about education in a modern conversation that recalls their student-teacher interactions in a progressive high school in the late 1960’s to reach conclusions about education today. Do I agree with everything they say? Heck no! But that’s not a drawback; the authors would be quick to point out that their readers’ examining their own assumptions and arguments is in the spirit of their effort. They make their own assumptions and arguments in an engaging and thoughtful, yet highly personal social commentary that deserves consideration by students of school reform. -- William D. Schafer, affiliated professor (emeritus), College of Education, University of Maryland
Any teacher knows that the best class discussions often get cut short by the bell. But what might happen if that conversation started up again . . . decades later? In What Went Right: Lessons from Both Sides of the Teacher’s Desk, former teacher George McDermott and former student Roberta Israeloff pick up their class discussion almost where they left off. In a series of beautifully crafted letters, the two authors explore the purpose of education, why some schools work (and some don’t), and the lessons they have learned both in the classroom and since they left it. Anyone who has ever been on either side of the teacher’s desk will find insights, challenges, and some shared wisdom on how to raise thoughtful adults. -- Kristen J. Amundson, president/CEO, National Association of State Boards of Education
There are at least two types of people who should read What Went Right.  The first:  anyone who had a classic Great Teacher in high school.  The sort who made you understand, then love, chemistry, European history, English, calculus or any mind-expanding subject because she loved what it did to her mind and wanted you to live through the same tough delight.   The other sort of person who should read this book:  anyone who had his heart broken by bad teaching, whose school made a fetish of standardized tests, who came each September with less energy, less willingness to find passion in learning.  The conversation recorded in this lovely book is full of elegant but not precious writing, familiar questions asked with an urgency that makes them seem new, and memories of truly great classes that might still be possible.  I’m buying a copy for my niece who teaches in Appalachia, and a copy for myself because I need the penetrating intelligence of its argument. -- Deborah Burnham, Associate Undergraduate Chair of English, University of Pennsylvania
We used What Went Right as an additional textbook for our Undergraduate Literacy Course at Washington State University this past fall semester.  Since most of my students were born in the late 1990's, they were so fascinated with the stories from George and Roberta's recollections and perceptions of how the world of education has changed over the past 50 years.  The authors' words, thoughts, and convictions stirred rich, and sometimes passionate, classroom discussions about a myriad of educational topics.  Thank you, George and Roberta, for influencing this new generation of educators to think critically, and reflect on What Went Right!     -- Deanna Duncan, Associate Faculty, Washington State University