Title: No Child Left Behind? The True Story of a Teacher’s QuestPublisher: Hudson House
ISBN, PUB Date: 9781587768798, 2008
Reviewed by: Traci for Author Exposure (8/10)
When the synopsis of Blake’s new book caught my eye, I had immediate flashbacks to movies such as Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers. These movies, set in urban city schools, displayed the challenges faced by inner-city students and how they impacted their education. The conditions of these children’s lives showed no signs of hope except for the one reckoning force of change—the teacher. No Child Left Behind? The True Story of a Teacher’s Quest
is a passionate memoir of a career-changing woman that finds herself following her passion to teach science in inner-city high schools. Unprepared for some of the challenges of her new career, she had to learn to deal with drugs, gangs, pregnancy, riots, and some of the worst school personnel.
is a passionate memoir of a career-changing woman that finds herself following her passion to teach science in inner-city high schools. Unprepared for some of the challenges of her new career, she had to learn to deal with drugs, gangs, pregnancy, riots, and some of the worst school personnel. One of the things that she clearly portrays in her story is the lack of accountability and leadership of the school administrators. Ultimately, Blake taught at three high schools during her tenure as a science teacher. At the first high school, the principal consistently blamed the students’ problems on the teachers. He was a shouter and, as you can imagine, not very results-oriented. At the second school, the principal had a clear gender bias by applying rules to female teachers that didn’t apply to male teachers. Nevertheless at the end of each day and despite all of the negative uncertainty in her students’ lives, Blake focused on maintaining a positive attitude and establishing clear boundaries in her classroom. An inner-city parent myself, I truly appreciated this detailed insight into the classroom from a teacher’s viewpoint.
As an avid reader that believes in following your passion, I think this book is a great example for people who still haven’t made that career change towards their passion. Sometimes, you may not get what you expect, but the mere exploration will lead you to where you want to be. Blake left her career of 20 years as a medical technologist in chemistry and hematology to teach science. Today, she writes science materials for homeschoolers. You’ll find the honesty, courage, and self-motivation throughout this story inspiring.
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