More Than a Dream: The Cristo Rey Story: How One School's Vision Is Changing the World

by G.R. Kearney

In a big city there are many big dreams, but only a special few come true . . .The Cristo Rey story is one of the more improbable and inspiring educational success stories in decades. In the early 1990s, the Jesuits in Chicago had an audacious dream—to start a new college prep school for the children of Hispanic working poor. But questions needed to be With so many established Catholic high schools closing their doors, did it make sense to try to build a new one? Would parents support a demanding prep school? Could students overcome deficient academic backgrounds? How could such a school be financed?
Despite many real and potential barriers, the Jesuits set to work—and in 1996, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School opened its doors in Pilsen, a predominantly Mexican-immigrant inner-city neighborhood on Chicago’s Lower West Side.
In More Than a Dream , G. R. Kearney shows how one daring vision became a reality and turned into a resounding success. Through Cristo Rey’s innovative curriculum, creative financing model, and intense devotion to the needs of Hispanic students, the lives of thousands of families continue to be changed. In demonstrating how Cristo Rey has sparked an educational revolution in urban America, the book leaves every reader with a bold Attempt to change what seems unchangeable.

“Cristo Rey is magical. What you see there is hope and optimism.”
—Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
They built more than a school—they built a future!
Brick by brick, Chicago-area Jesuits saw their dream of starting a new college prep school for the children of Hispanic working poor come true. Student by student, they saw a better and brighter future unfold. You’ll be truly inspired as you read how this Jesuit vision—now a national model for educational success—continues to challenge those who have much and to change the lives of those who have little.
“ More Than a Dr eam shines a light into the soul of urban education, illuminating the extraordinary challenges and the breathtaking and transformational results of the Cristo Rey–model schools.”
—Darren Jackson, CFO of Best Buy
“Cristo Rey schools change children’s lives. This is a story that needs to be told.”
—Laura Vanderkam, member of USA Today ’s Board of Contributors
“An enticing tale of inspiration, improvisation and innovation . . . A testament to the will and wisdom of a hearty lot who believed in poor kids and who had faith that the impossible is possible in urban education.”
—Jerome T. Murphy, Dean emeritus and Harold Howe II Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Thank you—by purchasing this book, you participate in the ongoing story of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. G. R. Kearney and Loyola Press will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago.

Genres: Education

424 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Emily Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're interested in school reform this book is worth reading because the Cristo Rey model is an interesting one. The book needs a serious editor - there's a lot of stuff that doesn't really need to be there. He intersperses the story of the school with narratives about the lives of students which sometimes work and sometimes don't. He also does a fairly good job at getting at some of the compromises and tensions the school negotiates as it scales up in a non "ed researcher" kind of way.

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an insightful study of the 1963 March on Washington, revealing its often overlooked radical dimensions. While most associate the event with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, Jones looks at the broader, more radical goals of the march, which were also aimed at economic justice and the fight for workers' rights. The book underscores the labor unions, civil rights leaders, and community organizations that pushed for structural transformation in tandem with racial justice, noting the march's focus on jobs, freedom, and economic opportunity for all.


You hear different civil rights leaders thoughts and actions on events that lead up, during and after the march. I enjoyed reading this book and people who would like to look more into civil rights movements and how the march on Washington helped people get a change for the better,

[Gregory Czarkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in the meaning of Higher Education for all this is a must read.

[Abigail Keaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but I wish he’d gone into more detail regarding some of the critiques that people make of the Cristo Rey model

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My oldest niece will be teaching in this Chicago school come August. She has had a Jesuit education most of her life and was a religion/philosophy major @ UD... top honors,etc. I am really engaged these days in reading about the process of educational change & this looked interesting! There is a strong vision, lots of consensus-building, neighborhood assessment and planning before the school is built in a high-poverty, very Hispanic area. I was totally hooked on the concept until I read a page, and I paraphrase here, "We were not equipped to accept studnets who could not read at all or those with special needs." Well, of course, public schools can't do that!! So, any comparisons to public ed. won't fly here! I am proud of my neice for taking this challenge on for a year! We'll see what happens! All this aside, there are some good models for creating new learning environments here. Bill/melinda Gates beleived in Cristo Rey enough to invest to buil these schools across the country- that's good enough for me!

[Cvh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Reaffirms the power of what's possible, particularly when you don't know better (as in you don't know the hurdles you'll face when you try to create change). Also reaffirms the promise of so many young people who are "throw-aways" -- kids who because they're poor minorities are tossed aside. Sobering b/c it also confirms the enormity of what's required to intervene in their lives and help them create a pathway to a positive future. We know how to make individual schools that work for these kids -- the core element being bright, creative individuals who are willing to work 60+ hours a week to get it right for these kids -- but how do we do that across an entire school district?

[Lizzard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous book that everyone should read. If you care about education in America & specifically educating those who don't have the most opportunity this is a book for you. Multiple plot lines woven together keep this one interesting & you'll finish it wanting to know more about the Cristo Rey Network of schools.

[Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the topic, and certainly it's good to know the narrative of the model school and how the network of Cristo Rey schools came about. Too the individual stories of the students were powerful; the strands of the book itself, though, were frustrating in their inconsistencies. This doesn't overshadow the necessity of the schools, nor of the story-on-a-whole that needs telling...

[Elizabeth Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was definitely interested as I now work at a Cristo rey school, and really enjoyed hearing about the founding of the schools. It was also encouraging to read that what we are going through isn't new and that once we get to capacity things will smooth out. It's amazing what a few dedicated people can come up with. So glad to be where I am.

[Jaime Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I may be biased because I serve at a Cristo Rey school in Atlanta, but this book was actually brilliantly written and included so much social analysis that it left me surprised. For anyone working at Cristo Rey school, you have to read this. Thank you Cristo Rey Chicago for sharing your success with us!

[Kellydeterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the Cristo Rey network, which is the school I am currently working in. I found it very interesting since it pertained to my job, as well as inspiring about the goal and mission of these schools.

[G.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obviously biased

[Cappy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not the hagiography it could have been, but it still only nibbles around the edges of the Cristo Rey-model's blemishes.

[Chad DePaoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story about a great education design. Loved the stories about the individual students. The fact telling can get a little long to read but that is made up for by covering such a great story.