Wood, George H. (2005). Time To Learn: How to Create High Schools That Serve All Students. Second edition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Time to Learn is a very good read because it offers hope for high school reform. George Wood based this book on his experiences as principal of Federal Hocking High School in Stewart, Ohio. By today’s standards, his school has a very small enrollment with little diversity among students and staff. So naturally, one of the arguments one would pose is that what Wood does in his school can’t be duplicated in much larger high schools with greater diversity among the students and staff. But as the author points out, those are just excuses that keep us from personalizing the educational experiences of every student.

Most high school reform efforts have failed miserably. We seem determined to make sure one curriculum, one standard, fits every child. Wood does a good job of breaking down the 5,000 hours a typical student spends in high school. He takes the reader through the history of how the Carnegie unit was developed (A unit of credit for college preparatory coursework. Each unit represents a year's course in a recognized subject). Surprisingly, we still adhere to that system which was developed over 100 years ago, further illustrating our lack of flexibility in developing high schools that are student centered rather than course centered.

Students at Federal Hocking High School are engaged in the learning process. They make decisions that meet their individual needs, but with the guidance of caring and dedicated faculty members. Sure, the school is small in size, but it is a great argument that most of our high schools are too large. In order to make schools a rewarding experience for our students, drastic changes must take place. Maybe this isn’t the answer, but it sure is a good start.

Time to Learn is full of examples of how to fully involve students. It gives the reader a step-by-step process for how one school got great results. The author recommends beginning with what we want our graduates to do, and plan the curriculum backward from there. He also gives the reader ideas on how to go around the roadblocks that constantly prevent us from deviating from the routine when trying new things.

This book should provide the motivation to try something different. It presents a very good case that maybe we should consider making our high schools much smaller and more manageable. A great resource tool for today’s high school principal. It will give readers hope that students are good and that they will respond positively if they are connected to the school.

References

Carnegie unit. [Definition] Retrieved December 7, 2005 from http://www.sizes.com/units/carnegie_unit.htm

Pages: 216     Price: $22.50    ISBN: 0-325-00808-6

Reviewed by Dr. David E. Lee, Educational Leadership and Research, University of Southern Mississippi