Geoffrey Canada: Our failing schools. Enough is enough!
Geoffrey Canada: 我们的那些烂学校,我受够你们了!
Geoffrey Canada has spent decades as head of the Harlem Children’s Zone, which supports kids from birth through college in order to break the cycle of poverty. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
除非他是无业游民。
一个也没有。
可我们有为此做过什么事吗? 也没有。
对这帮孩子来说,这是最基本的东西呢。
然后你发现学生没学到其想要的东西。
因为我们还可以为此做些事情。
但至少你让我们来做些尝试吧。
“唉,那些特许学校有很多也是不成功的啊。”
然后说,我们什么也不用做啊。
这样行吗?
他们会打电话给你,他们会说:
其实不然,这类学生最好还是呆在学校。
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Geoffrey Canada - Education reformerGeoffrey Canada has spent decades as head of the Harlem Children’s Zone, which supports kids from birth through college in order to break the cycle of poverty.
Why you should listen
Geoffrey Canada grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in the South Bronx, with a mother who believed deeply in education. So upon getting his degree from Bowdoin College and continuing on to a masters in education from Harvard, Canada dedicated himself to working with kids in poor neighborhoods. In 1983, he accepted a position at the Rheedlen Institute in Harlem as education director. Seven years later, he became president and renamed it the Harlem Children's Zone.
While the Harlem Children’s Zone started out focusing on a single block -- West 119th Street -- it has since expanded exponentially. It now encompasses more than 100 square blocks and serves an estimated 10,000 children, providing pre-kindergarten care, after-school programs, health care, college planning and classes for soon-to-be-parents.
Meanwhile, Canada has become known nationally for his work, appearing on shows as diverse as Oprah and This American Life. The recipient of the first Heinz Award in 1994, Canada was named one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News and World Report in 2005 and, in 2011, he was listed as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Both Canada and Harlem Children’s Zone figured prominently in the 2010 documentary Waiting for Superman. And President Barack Obama’s Promise Neighborhoods program was modeled after HCZ, offering grants to programs in 21 cities across the country to try and emulate its success.
An avid fan and teacher of Tae Kwon Do, Canada has authored two books: Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America and Reaching Up for Manhood: Transforming the Lives of Boys in America.
Geoffrey Canada | Speaker | TED.com