Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Lessons of Hope: How Courage, Grit, and Accountability Can Save Our Schools” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Lessons of Hope: How Courage, Grit, and Accountability Can Save Our Schools

Joel Klein

3.60 · Rating details · 131 ratings · 21 reviews

In this revealing and thoughtful memoir, the former chancellor of the New York City schools offers the behind-the-scenes story of the city’s dramatic campaign to improve public education and an inspiring blueprint for national reform

In 2002, New York City’s newly elected mayor, Michael Bloomberg, began his first term with a controversial announcement: his administration ha ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published November 4th 2014 by Harper

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Lessons of Hope, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Lessons of Hope

Lists with This Book

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty

Thirteen Days in September by Lawrence Wright

The Economist - Books of the Year, 2014

53 books — 37 voters

The Tyranny of Experts by William Easterly

How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life by Russ Roberts

Austrian Economic Reads of 2014

19 books — 8 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.60 ·

Rating details

· 131 ratings · 21 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Lessons of Hope: How Courage, Grit, and Accountability Can Save Our Schools

Jan 17, 2015 Paula Lyle rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2015, school

This is not about 'How to Fix" schools. It is a memoir of Joel Klein's experience being the chancellor of New York City Schools. I probably wouldn't have read it had I not believed the cover. That being said. It was interesting and held my attention.

Joel Klein, without doubt, worked hard and with conviction. I admire him for that, even when I did not agree with some of his reforms. I wish he had given that same consideration to people who disagreed with him. All of them (according to Mr. Klein), ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2014 Heidi rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-hardback, education, ny-condo

The first part of this book didn't mesmerize me, because I had already learned a lot of the information by reading "Class Warfare". But when Joel Klein gets to the techniques they used and the changes they made, I was riveted. Practically every page was turned down to bookmark some paragraph I had read.

The most significant insight I came away with was how impossible it is to get results from large, unresponsive, somnolent bureaucratic organizations. There may be individuals within the bureaucra The first part of this book didn't mesmerize me, because I had already learned a lot of the information by reading "Class Warfare". But when Joel Klein gets to the techniques they used and the changes they made, I was riveted. Practically every page was turned down to bookmark some paragraph I had read.

The most significant insight I came away with was how impossible it is to get results from large, unresponsive, somnolent bureaucratic organizations. There may be individuals within the bureaucracy that care and come to work every day wanting to make a difference; but on the whole the beast is just too big and clunky to be effective. (On the other hand, at the end Klein says that having a myriad of school systems each doing their own thing doesn't work because they are too small to provide the options or the innovations their kids will need, so I'd like to know how he resolves the big central unwieldy problem with the necessity for there to be a a central command center to disperse technology, new techniques, etc.) Nevertheless, it seems that while he was in New York he worked hard to break down large entities and give power to principals so they could motivate their teams, set the tone, innovate, and generally be leaders rather than bureaucrats.

He was also one of the very first to do this. When he came in, charter schools weren't a household name; reform was just a gleam in Mayor Bloomberg's eye. By the time he left, he had shaken up the system so much (mostly in a good way) that he truly deserves the moniker "Father of ed reform." Some things worked, some didn't, but public education would never be quite the same again.

I can't resist closing with a quote from Albert Shanker -- the father of teachers' unions -- who must have had some second thoughts about what he wrought, because in 1993 he said this: "The key is that unless there is accountability, we will never get the right system. As long as there are no consequences if kids or adults don't perform, as long as the discussion is not about education and student outcomes, then we're playing a game as to who has the power."

Oh, Randi Weingarten, why do you not heed your mentor? ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2015 Marc rated it it was ok

While I appreciated this inside look into the NYC school reform movement, I couldn't get over Klein's self-serving prose and defensive missives. For every admission he made of wrongdoing or imperfection as chancellor, there seemed like 4 potshots at his detractors and/or extended quotes from his prominent supporters about how great he was. I will take with me his important messages about school choice and the need to be single-minded in improving each child's education. I can't help feel, howeve ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2014 Christopher Lawson rated it it was amazing

"Public education needs radical rethinking."

LESSONS OF HOPE is primarily a autobiographical discussion of the author's term as chancellor of the New York City public school system. Mr Klein explains why he wrote this book: "Public education needs radical rethinking."

Regardless of whether you are aligned with Joel Klein's politics, or not, you will have to admit one thing: The author is a very brave man. He took on a complex bureaucracy that was "designed for the sole purpose of maximizing benefi "Public education needs radical rethinking."

LESSONS OF HOPE is primarily a autobiographical discussion of the author's term as chancellor of the New York City public school system. Mr Klein explains why he wrote this book: "Public education needs radical rethinking."

Regardless of whether you are aligned with Joel Klein's politics, or not, you will have to admit one thing: The author is a very brave man. He took on a complex bureaucracy that was "designed for the sole purpose of maximizing benefits for well connected adults - politicians, unions, bureaucrats, and their friends." Mr Klein proposed significant reforms in the school system, such as replacing large high schools with multiple smaller schools. He also battled the unions on unproductive work rules. Of course, for this he was greatly attacked, and is still attacked to this day.

Much of the controversy around Mr Klein is based on the philosophy of how do we fix the school system. Some think "You'll never fix education in America until you fix poverty." The author points out that he believes the exact opposite: We will never fix poverty until we fix education." The author credits his own academic success to an inspiring physics teacher, who of all things wanted to teach Joel Einstein's theory of relativity.

Mr Klein points out the biggest problem with public sector labor unions: "In the public sector, unions had a big say and selecting management through the election process. As a result, they had a lot of power on both signs of the labor management n negotiating."

One of his biggest challenges was raising funds from private organizations to support the charter school movement. Ironically one of the biggest donors was the Gates Foundation. The author had previously engaged in a fierce lawsuit against Microsoft, and there were still sore feelings.

The author sums up his philosophy at the very end of the book: "We can remain complacent and watch as our country continues to be ripped apart by a growing underclass ... Or we can finally say what we've long known. Too many of our schools are failing."

√ LESSONS OF HOPE is a well-written, thoughtful book written by a capable, driven figure. The problems discussed in this book are tough ones, and the author's fixes are controversial. This is not a simple book, nor are the solutions trivial.

♫ A Review by Chris Lawson

Note: I do not know the author of this book, and no one requested I write this review. Heck--I didn't even attend school in New York.
...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 08, 2015 Meiroz rated it really liked it

Not being a New Yorker, nor an American, I can appreciate this book from a public management point of view. And I have to say that I had never read anything like this before. It is a first person account of what it is like to reform an educational system, from a practioner's point of view. Yes, some of his initiatives might not have worked, and you might disagree with the guy's policies, but from a public manager's perspective, this level of insight is invaluable. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 05, 2015 Katie Draper rated it really liked it

Shelves: education

More of a 3.5. Interesting policies if you can get past all his humble bragging.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 29, 2020 Vilas Annavarapu rated it did not like it

Wow, what a truly terrible book. 0 lessons of hope to be found. Klein spends an exorbitant amount of time describing his fights with teachers unions and the ways the all powerful teachers union prevented meaningful reform from happening in NYC. Klein repeatedly refers to his approach as "radical" which he seems to not know the definition of. The heart of NYC's school reforms under then Mayor Bl**mberg were centered around school choice and improving bureaucracies. One one hand, I think Klein doe Wow, what a truly terrible book. 0 lessons of hope to be found. Klein spends an exorbitant amount of time describing his fights with teachers unions and the ways the all powerful teachers union prevented meaningful reform from happening in NYC. Klein repeatedly refers to his approach as "radical" which he seems to not know the definition of. The heart of NYC's school reforms under then Mayor Bl**mberg were centered around school choice and improving bureaucracies. One one hand, I think Klein does school-choice right. In lieu of failing schools, NYC opened up charter schools that were innovative, creative, and explored different curricular models. A lot of the partnerships created with private businesses were exciting and innovative. At the same time, school choice is what education reformers have been bickering about for decades so to enact a widely known policy is hardly radical. Also, as great as school choice is, that in and of itself does not meaningfully move test scores or graduation rates. I did appreciate the matching system that Klein implemented so kids could be exposed to a wide array of schooling options.

I found Klein's model of change to be thoroughly lackluster and definitely a neoliberal approach to reform. At one point he quotes a business executive who tells a principal that kids are in fact products. Klein rails against really ineffective bureaucracies filled with people who micromanage schools or simply do not do their jobs, but his solution to everything is to create his own bureaucracies that will be super awesome because he is running them. He doesn't devote much time explaining why his systems are superior to the ones that preceded him, but this is on brand with his whole I'm-an-outsider-and-I-can't-believe-nobody-thought-to-bring-on-McKinsey-schtick. It's especially hard to take Klein's reforms seriously because he does not meticulously describe how specific reforms led to improvements, especially in the long-term.

The principal leadership academy seems compelling as well as the creation of parent coordinator positions for schools. The philosophy of "hire competent people" is one I can get behind. At the same time, it's bizarre he spends such little time hearing from teachers themselves. School reform efforts always leave out the voices of teachers, and Klein blames the teachers union for preventing him from doing so. There's a lot of insights Klein probably could offer, but does not. This book is one to defend his legacy rather than offer meaningful policy points to those looking to radically improve the state of public schools. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 12, 2020 Aubrey Anderson rated it liked it

This book read more like a CV replete with name dropping. I appreciate many of the methods Klein pursued to change the landscape of education, but where is the lasting change. No matter the intent, money, and research, Klein did not accomplish what he promised. So what’s the lesson of hope here? That someone else will learn from his mistakes and pursue change along a different avenue?

flag Like · see review

May 22, 2018 Katie rated it it was amazing

Informative and interesting read about the public school reform in NYC

flag Like · see review

May 07, 2015 Darian Jones rated it really liked it

More about Klein than reform but powerful none the less. Unfortunately the forces in ed reform do not understand the devastating affects of poverty and the systems in education that perpeptuate inequities based on race, Klein like most can speak on it from a theoretical perspective but struggle to address it systemically b/c that requires a radical reframing of discourse abotu America itself... it is not simply that one house is broken... all the houses are on fire... and he is right about the c ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 26, 2015 Liam Dillow added it

Far from the stiff, formal writing one might expect of a government official in his position, Joel Klein delivers a very frank accounting of his time spearheading the momentum we see occurring in urban education reform today. I did not realize prior to reading this how much the path to success for students can be forged not in the classroom, but in the grinding wheels of bureaucracy. It's a simplification to call this book the pitting of the establishment (read: teacher's unions) versus revoluti ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 15, 2014 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: edu-book

Since I worked for Joel Klein, this book represents six fulfilling years of my work life. With every chapter Joel reinforces his deep commitment to providing all kids with a better chance through education, and argues for his personal brand of big, bold change through accountability for adults and schools, choice and opportunity for excellence for kids and their parents To my eye he does not embellish or exaggerate any success and is candid about what could have gone better or been done earlier/ ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 31, 2015 Gabrielle added it

I think it's important to challenge the structure of public schools and their guiding principles... we have an educational system that is failing so many of our students that it is essential to examine all of its facets. This book encourages decisive action that challenges the school system's status quo. However, keep in mind that education is incredibly complex, and this author has a pretty clear bias toward favoring his own actions, as is only natural. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 05, 2015 Matt Austin rated it really liked it

A great book not just for those interested in education reform, but also for those interested in learning more about the changes made by Mr. Klein and Mayor Bloomberg and the impact these changes had on New York City. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Mr. Klein's experience and his words of advice. As someone looking to impact the education sector, this provides an excellent base.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. Very well written and full of thought-provoking ideas. ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 02, 2015 Michael Alderman rated it really liked it

The lessons Klein learned as head of America's largest school system are important for the future of education in America. Hopefully his reforms aren't undone by the proponents of the status quo.

He points to quite a few solutions to our education problems: national control, accountability for teachers and kids, harder entrance requirements for schools of education, among others. ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 17, 2015 Chris Rhodenbaugh rated it really liked it

The book started off with a relatively simple overview of ed reform movement, which was a little slow for me, but got better as Klein got more specifically into what happened during his time as chancellor.

flag Like · see review

Nov 17, 2014 Jordan Munn rated it liked it

pretty formulaic, somewhat scattershot, clearly stacking the arguments in his favor and gossipy. Nonetheless, a decent read that makes good points about the education field and the NYCDOE, despite the polarizing writer.

flag Like · see review

Dec 02, 2014 Arlene Alda rated it it was amazing

The book is extremely informative, with good details of how the NYC schools were overhauled. It's an inspiring and riveting story of hard work and honest dedication. Not only is the content wonderful, but so is the writing. I can recommend this book wholeheartedly. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 26, 2015 Katharine Rudzitis rated it really liked it

Thoughtful memoir from the former chancellor in NYC. A thorough history of education reform during Bloomberg's time as mayor. ...more

flag Like · see review

May 04, 2015 Othell Williams rated it it was amazing

Great book. It really does give hope. Shows that there are lots of people working to improve education. An absolute imperative for the future of the United States and the world.

flag Like · see review