TheApple

The average ninth grader beginning school at Downtown College Prep in San Jose, California, reads at a fifth grade level. By senior year, 94% of the graduating class will be accepted into college. With a new approach to charter school education, this inner-city school has found success where so many others have failed. Our School shares not only the alternative strategies and bold new ideas that made Downtown College Prep the success that it is, but also the personal stories behind this accomplishment. Honest and engaging, Jacobs exposes the schools struggles and triumphs, from preparing students for the SATs in a community where many residents dont speak English to troubled students finding faith in themselves and the mentors around them. This gritty yet hopeful book offers sound advice and inspiration, while at the same time providing a new understanding of what makes a charter school work.