​​​​A Light Shines in Harlem​

The Harvard Kennedy School’s Education Next journal

 

"From this book one learns how difficult and complicated it is to open a charter school." —Nathan Glazer, professor emeritus of education and sociology at Harvard University

 

The Huffington Post

 

“A Light Shines in Harlem tracks the tenacity and heroism of a few of the reform movement's earliest and lesser known pioneers, in standing up to those who refused to give up their power to allow new lights to shine, no matter how successful they were.”—Jeanne Allen  

 

The Manhattan Institute’s City Journal

 

“At its heart, A Light Shines is the story of an unlikely partnership between a Wall Street hotshot and a Harlem minister, the little-school-that-could they created together on 115th Street, and the path that they’ve charted for educational equity in New York—and across the nation.—Charles Upton Sahm

 

The Harvard University Kennedy School’s Education Next journal

 

One of seven books that landed on Education Next”s “Education Books Make Great Gifts”

 

The Center for Education Reform Newswire

 

“A new, must-read book that tells the poignant, impactful story of Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem, the first-ever charter school to open in New York.”

 

Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

 

One of six books listed as “Recent Books That May Be of Interest to African-American Scholars”

 

Center for Education Reform

 

One of seven “Best Book Bets”

 

Scholastic Instructor and Scholastic Administrator magazines

 

An against-the-odds tale that serves as a window on the charter school debate.”

 

Education Dive

 

“Seven education books to catch up on during the holiday season”

 

Dropout Nation

           

“Top Eight Books” of 2014 

 

Metro New York

 

“A Light Shines in Harlem documents the struggles and triumphs of the city’s first charter school, which opened in 1999 as a reaction to Harlem’s failing school system.”—Emily Laurence

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

 

“New book pays homage to charter school movement’s Brooklyn roots”—Samantha Samel

 

Education Reform Newswire

 

"A Light Shines in Harlem is the title of a new, must-read book that tells the poignant, impactful story of Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem, the first-ever charter school to open in New York. The book chronicles in accessible fashion the school’s founding and development, and what took place behind the scenes to make Sisulu-Walker a reality for New York students. Written by Mary C. Bounds, the book includes a foreword by Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, Sisulu-Walker co-founder and civil rights hero who served as Martin Luther King’s chief of staff and head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during the 1950s and early 60s. But most interesting is the book’s incorporation of the charter school movement as a whole, recent studies corroborating charter achievement, and what challenges lie ahead. This type of perspective is critical, because as Dr. Walker writes, 'In the charter movement, I am continuing the work of Dr. King that has far-reaching meaning. Every American child is deserving of a quality public school education. It is education that will guarantee that segregation and second-class citizenship will never return!'"—Education Reform Newswire

 

“Each school has its own story, but few are chronicled as honestly, openly, and passionately as in this engaging volume. You will learn to love this school built with the same passion that inspired those who walked with Dr. Martin Luther King.” —Professor Paul E. Peterson, director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University and author of Saving Schools: From Horace Mann to Virtual Learning