These acknowledgements can’t do justice to all those to whom I am indebted. There are far too many of them. First are parents and teachers. The hundreds of parents I have represented have inspired me with their love for their children and their indomitable spirit. They won’t give up the fight, and we shouldn’t either.
Teachers are no less inspirational. I have been deeply moved and motivated by the thousands of them that I have interacted with over the years. They are heroic in their tireless efforts to overcome systemic barriers and do the best they can to enable their students to succeed.
I am also profoundly thankful to colleagues who have been unstinting in their help. Their assistance ranged from reading the whole manuscript, to reading parts of it, to consultation on a particular issue. That doesn’t mean that colleagues have endorsed all of the book, or even key analyses or recommendations. Their feedback has sometimes been long on pushback. But I have benefited greatly from many informative exchanges.
Ulrich Boser has provided extensive, invaluable editorial consultation. Ulrich, an education policy expert and accomplished author outside the field of education, has been an unsparing source of encouragement and guidance in all facets of the book’s development.
Others on the alphabetical honor roll of those who have helped in some way are: Meg Benner, Jarrod Bolte, Candace Cortiella, Alan Coulter, Donald Deshler, Robert Embry, Checker Finn, Marcella Franczkowski, Doug Fuchs, Eve Heyn, Laura Kaloi, Ed Kame’enui, Marcy Kolodny, Denise Marshall, Jay Mathews, Maggie McLaughlin, Mike Petrilli, and Rachel Quenemoen.
Sadly, one acknowledgement is in memoriam. David Schimmel, a lifelong friend and acclaimed professor of education, died as the book was nearing completion. But happily, we had many conversations about the book and he taught me many lessons over many years.
On the home front, my wife and four sons, Jeffrey, Neil, Daniel and Robert, were editors and supporters par excellence. In the family tradition, each, in a no-holds-barred way, was always there to help and humor Dad.
I also want to convey my appreciation to Mark Fretz and Evan Phail at Radius Book Group and Naomi Gunkel at Scribe Inc. I have benefited from their expert and patient assistance at every step along the long path to publication.
Finally, let me single out two persons for special expressions of gratitude. One, a dear family friend Sarajane Greenfeld, I was very lucky to have the benefit of her superb copy-editing skills as the book developed.
The other person is Robert Slavin, who is in a class by himself. He’s an education scholar and program developer of wide renown. Even more remarkably, he is an outspoken advocate for reform, and I am inexpressibly honored by his generous Introduction to the book. What he omits, however, is his own role as a mentor and fountainhead for many ideas in the book about how to transform instruction for struggling learners.
Bob and I are sometimes side by side in challenging the education establishment. But it hardly need be said that I am not remotely in the same education league as he is. Which makes it all the more extraordinary that he has taken so much time to assist me. Of course, his professional reputation is so great that it can easily withstand any association with my work. With immeasurable admiration and appreciation, thanks Bob.