Hit the Drum

An Insider's Account of How the Charter School Idea Became a National Movement

The first state charter school law was passed in Minnesota in 1991. The idea that teachers, parents, and other community members could launch these independent public schools of choice proceeded to spread rapidly across the country. Within two decades, many charter schools had long waiting lists and parents willing to march on their behalf. By 2017, more than 6,900 charter schools were operating in 44 states plus DC, serving 3.2 million children. In spite of the controversy that often swirls around them, charter schools have dropped strong roots into the field of education. HIT THE DRUM is a page-turning narrative that gives an insider's perspective to explain how this transformation happened. It tells the engaging stories of several dozen unsung heroes and heroines—many of them classroom teachers—who decided to change their lives in order to join this grassroots movement which has dramatically altered the landscape of public education in America. If you are interested in education reform or how social movements grow and spread—or if you want to understand more about why we have the kinds of schools we do and how schools might look in the future—this book is a must-read. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART I: FIRST STEPS Chapter 1: Seeing What's Possible: Day One at North Star Academy Chapter 2: A Nation at Risk and Time for Results Chapter 3: Where Did the Idea of Chartering Come From? Chapter 4: Preparing the Field and Planting the Seeds Chapter 5: California and Michigan and the Early Challenges Chapter 6: "All Choice Is Good and More Choice Is Better": Two Warriors Chapter 7: The Pioneer Chapter 8: "Who's Going to Help People Start These Things?" Chapter 9: "We Had Nothing to Lose" Chapter 10: From Small Schools to Charter Schools in Chicago Chapter 11: How to Make the Most of a Crisis: The DC Story Chapter 12: A Pot of Meatballs Among Friends Chapter 13: Herding Cats, Part I PART II: SCALING UP: QUANTITY VS. QUALITY Chapter 14: Explaining This New Thing Chapter 15: Why Aren't All Charter Schools Great? Chapter 16: "Weeding Is Hard Work" Chapter 17: The Superintendent and the Entrepreneur Chapter 18: A Couple of Rookies Chapter 19: KIPP and YES Prep Chapter 20: The Disgruntled Graduate Student Chapter 21: Building the Uncommon Team Chapter 22: "From Margins to Mainstream" Chapter 23: "How Many Schools Can You Open?" Chapter 24: Herding Cats, Part II, and the Double-edged Sword of Philanthropy Chapter 25: The Katrina Effect Chapter 26: "Don't Steal Possible" PART III: ROOTS TAKING HOLD Chapter 27: The Promise of "R & D" Labs vs. The Reality Chapter 28: Using Data Differently Chapter 29: Changing How Teachers and Leaders Are Prepared, Part I Chapter 30: Changing How Teachers and Leaders Are Prepared, Part II CONCLUSION: Why Charters Have Not Faded ACKNOWLEDGMENTS NOTE ON METHODOLOGY ABOUT THE AUTHOR NOTES