I asked Dave Levin if KIPP schools really “save lives,” to use George Ramirez’s phrase. Dave was adamant that they don’t save anybody’s life. He insisted: “We’re the cheerleaders; the kids are playing the game. They do the heavy lifting. We set up the conditions; the hard work has to be done by each individual.” KIPP’s mission, he explained, is to help children have choice-filled lives. Choice does not mean one road for all — and it does not have to mean an Ivy League college, or even college at all. Choice is about children having genuine options in how they make their lives, regardless of
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