Michael Santos / Title Read: Whatever It Takes
Date Read: August 22, 2011
Title: Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America
Author: Paul Tough
Why I read Whatever It Takes:
Since I’m a federal prisoner, guards inspect mail I receive before they pass it along. When people send books, the guards frequently pass me the book in an unmarked envelope, preventing me from knowing who sent me the book. I received Whatever It Takes in an envelope without knowing who sent the book to me or why. As I dipped it into it, I read that the book described one man’s passion to change the way impoverished children received their education in America.
Mr. Tough’s description of how Geoffrey Canada worked to transform educational systems is something I can learn from. I aspire to inspire positive reforms in America’s prison system and knowing about Mr. Canada’s experiences would help.
What I learned from reading Whatever It Takes:
Geoffrey Canada launched the Harlem Children’s Zone to provide impoverished children with values and skills that would assist them through their academic journey and through life. Rather than trying to change the world one child at a time, he aspired to change the lives of children by the tens of thousands. Doing so required that he completely transform the way society educated them.
Mr. Canada worked with others to form a nonprofit corporation. They raised tens of millions of dollars, bringing together some of America’s wealthiest citizens to play an active role in his vision. They wanted to form a “conveyor belt” approach to education, beginning before the child’s conception with the zone’s baby college program.
Through the baby college program, the Harlem Children’s Zone would educate the parents on strategies to prepare the child for success. The zone operated a pre- kindergarten program, then transitioned the participating children into schools that would take them through high school. Each child who advanced through the entire curriculum, theoretically, would be ready for college.
Mr. Canada’s ambitious program truly opened opportunities for each child who was fortunate enough to proceed through the program. I learned from him.
How will reading Whatever It Takes contribute to my success upon release?
I aspire to contribute to a foundation that will prepare more prisoners for law-abiding, productive lives. In doing so, I hope to lower America’s deplorable recidivism rates while helping more prisoners create meaning in their lives. Reading Whatever It Takes shows that I must take a data-driven approach, relying upon real numbers to validate success. I cannot use “happy talk,” saying that I’m running a best-in- class system. Rather, I must document every aspect of success. Doing so requires strict accountability logs that will allow me to assess operations, making tough choices when necessary.
I learned a great deal from Whatever It Takes. Paul Tough, the author, is a gifted writer who made this book a fascinating read. I will work harder to present my program to others.
