Snowflake Schools

Despite billions spent and countless reforms instigated, American schools seem perpetually mired in mediocrity. To change that, we don’t need top-down initiatives or experts lecturing; we must recognize the uniqueness of every school and turn to those who know their classrooms best—teachers.
Snowflake Schools analyzes the current educational system, explains why recent efforts at reform were doomed to fail, and outlines procedures that would change the fundamental culture of our schools to one where the creativity and individuality of teachers could act as the driving force for positive change.

Unlike other books on school reform written by theorists who don’t understand how schools really work, Snowflake Schools comes from someone who worked within the system for thirty-three years and strongly believes in the ideals of public education. James Crandell not only taught thousands of students, but worked closely with hundreds of administrators, school board members, and parents throughout his career. If our schools are to improve, we have to allow teaching artists to help our children reach collectively developed standards using the unique talents each teacher inherently possesses and has spent years cultivating. Administrative edicts, federal programs, and state mandates have failed and will continue to waste precious resources unless they are designed to utilize the insights of millions of hard-working classroom teachers. Snowflake Schools provides the blueprints for making that happen.