Press and Reviews
Praise for “Renewal”
“This is a wonderful book — comprehensive, wise, and extraordinarily useful. The author has the experience, has done the research, and writes well. On the subject of school improvement, if a reader has time to read only one book, this would be an excellent choice.”
— Arthur Levine, former President of The Teachers College at Columbia University and current President of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
“His models are stellar illustrations of what our future system can be. Furthermore, he tells us how we will get there … There is tons of value in this book for teachers, especially those seeking assurance and direction in a changing era. I am a better teacher for reading this book.”
— Damien Riley, Dynamite Lesson Plan, May, 2012
“In his thought-provoking and thorough new book Renewal, Hal Kwalwasser explains the multiple forces that form the backdrop of 21st century public education. By doing that, he has succeeded in weaving together those complex factors into a clear and concise picture of where we now stand, coupled with solid suggestions for the future. With specific anecdotal testimonies from successful practitioners, this is a good handbook for incumbent school district leaders, and should be required reading for all aspiring leaders.”
— C. Fred Bateman, Executive Director, Urban Superintendents Association of America
“Mr. Kwalwasser provides an insightful and thought-provoking overview of American education. His journey across our nation to find answers to the challenges we face in transforming public education opens the door to courageous conversations. The book moves between history and action, and calls upon citizens to be well-informed and engaged in a movement to achieve educational excellence in the 21st century.”
— Maria G. Ott, Ph.D, Superintendent of Schools, Rowland Unified School District, and former Deputy Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
“Renewal tells some important stories about district transformation. Kwalwasser captures the best of the Quality Excellence of Baldrige, good common sense, and the energy and drive he knows it takes to lead system change around student performance. There are important lessons here …”
— Anne Bryant, Executive Director, National School Boards Association
“Renewal, A User’s Guide to Remaking America’s Schools for the 21st Century offers a comprehensive and readable path to improve America’s schools. This survey of forty high performing schools—and their transformation efforts—includes all the elements that make for a great educational institution. Kwalwasser understands how difficult it is to get parents, teachers, administrators and legislators on the same page, and he has written a book for school leaders who want to move public education forward.”
— Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators
“Renewal: Remaking America's Schools for the 21st Century”, by Harold Kwalwasser, is now available wherever fine books are sold. Click here to order your copy today.
In the News
- Saying ‘Good Bye’ to Grades (School Administrator, December 2015, December, 2015)
- Standardized tests don't help us evaluate teachers (Los Angeles Times, September, 2015)
- The Formula for Successful School Reform: One part Legislative Humility Mixed with Three Parts Hard Work at the Grass Roots (American Constitution Society Book Talk, February, 2013)
- Miami-Dade teachers’ book club a think tank on school reform (based on Renewal) (Miami Herald, December, 2012)
- Florida's incendiary new race-based proficiency standards (Orlando Sentinel, November, 2012)
- Choice Magazine "Highly Recommends" Renewal (, October, 2012)
- Book Review: Renewal (Dynamite Lesson Plan, May, 2012)
- Interview on KYW (Philadelphia) on April 17, 2012. (KYW-AM (Philadelphia, PA), April, 2012)
- My Commentary in Ed Week on the 10th Anniversary of NCLB (Education Week, January, 2012)
- Why great teachers aren't enough to make schools work (Washington Post, August, 2011)
Commentaries
- Saying ‘Good Bye’ to Grades (December 11, 2015)
- Standardized tests don’t help us evaluate teachers (September 16, 2015)
- Why Teachers Colleges get a Flunking Grade (October 25, 2013)
- School elections: What do we do about low voter turnout? (September 16, 2013)
- Mooresville’s Recipe for Great Schools (September 16, 2013)
- Kwalwasser Speaks to the American Constitution Society (February 7, 2013)
- Miami-Dade Teacher Think Tank Using Renewal (December 19, 2012)
- Comments on Florida’s incendiary race-based proficiency standards (November 15, 2012)
- Teacher Evaluations: The Challenge to making them successful (November 1, 2012)
- Great Talk at Baltimore’s Pratt Library (October 3, 2012)