A Time to Learn: Creating Community in America's High Schools

Wood explains the pedagogic inspiration that motivated him to leave his job as professor of education at Ohio University to become a principal at a poor Ohio high school. He believes we must rethink high schools to ""transform them from the institutions they now are to the communities they should be."" Much of the restructuring Wood advocates is occurring in countless high schools across the country, as administrators, parents and teachers realize that rewarding the desk-bound hours of ""seat time"" with earned credits serves no one in the public school system or society. ""When social conditions begin to sour, we first see it reflected in the lives of our children."" Wood and his school community have transformed Federal Hocking High School (FHHS) from a mediocre traditional institution to a community that establishes for students the relevance of academic rigor, career preparation and active citizenship. Radical restructuring efforts, Wood argues, must include a decrease in the importance of standardized testing and textbooks that are written in order ""not to offend too many folks"" so that they may be widely adopted. FHHS flourished with creative block scheduling, portfolio assessment and the Senior Project--all ideas gaining popularity in high schools across the nation. Although Wood's book offers no radically new information, his testimonial may inspire other administrators to begin restructuring their high schools. Editor, Deb Brody; agent Denise Marcil. (Aug.)