Making Schools Work

Marcus A. Foster, Alex Haley

Marcus Foster first gained notoriety for his spectacularly successful transformation of two of Philadelphia’s worst schools. He brought new school pride and enthusiasm to the students and faculty, brought parents and local businesses into school activities, and pressured the Board of Education into funding new programs and facilities. Foster was Philadelphia’s Man of the Year for 1968 and received prestigious awards from the NAACP and other organizations. Although Foster was a strict, no-nonsense educator, he was no conservative and no political suckup (patronizer). He criticized the institutional racism of the school system and worked hard to both celebrate ethnic diversity and have it reflected in the positions of power within the educational hierarchy. Faced with a soaring dropout rate, nonexistent school morale, and plummeting proficiency scores, the Oakland, California...

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