Whole Child, Whole School Applying Theory to Practice in a Community School [Hardcover]

This inspiring book captures not only the power of the community school to address the needs of children and families, but also the power of a school-university partnership within this setting. The deep partnership between the Edison School and Manhattanville College, discussed in this book, serves as a beacon for others seeking to build such partnerships that not only educate children more effectively, but also prepare the next generation of teachers for classroom realities.I have just finished reading Whole Child, Whole School: Applying Theory to Practice in the Community School (Santiago, Ferrara & Quinn), an up-close and personal look at one community school in Port Chester, NY. This refreshing book brings educational theory down to earth and provides rich narrative about the realities of creating a full service community school. It also pays tribute to the visionary leadership of the schools principal, and to the many educators and community partners who enthusiastically embraced the vision of a school that was of, by, and for the students, teachers and families who brought it to life every day. By providing a wealth of narrative and data about the educational and social experiences of everyone at the school, the authors provide a clear argument in favor of community schools as an effective model that belongs in the repertoire of everyone concerned with school reform.Whole Child, Whole School brought into sharp relief the need for the community school model and whole child education. As the world becomes more inter-connected and smaller through the use of technology we can no longer bring a silo approach to education if America wants to continue to be a competitor and a leader in a global age.I am a parent-graduate of Thomas Edison School. Both my children attended school there from Kindergarten through the fourth and fifth grades respectively. They are both thriving and moving along well in their academic careers due in large part to the strong foundationl#/