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4.5
“Whatever It Takes” chronicles the struggle of the Geoffrey Canada and the Harlem Children’s Zone in their work against institutional poverty here in Harlem, NY. This powerful reflection examines how organizational structures and services evolved from Canada’s recognition that historically disenfranchised communities especially those like the one he grew up in, developed “contaminated” cultures that did not support young people as they embarked on academic ventures in their schools. Recognizing the disparities between the childhoods of middle class white Americans and the childhoods students of color endured in poverty stricken inner city communities, Canada and the Harlem Children's Zone began identifying programs that would counteract the hardship students in Harlem endured. The book illustrates some interesting aspects these programs took on to inform both their structure and management. For instance, since the Harlem Children’s Zone was a charter school a significant source of its funding was through private foundations. As a result the school’s operates with a different requirements and methods for accountability than of most public schools. Canada used this to make student achievement the goal that would drive every aspect of their work. “Canada believed the best way to achieve that goal was to act not like a bighearted altruist but like a ruthless capitalist, devoted to the bottom line. He didn’t think it was right to hold himself or his employees to a looser standard of achievement simply because they happened to be making the world a better place.” (pg. 135) This perspective raises some concerns regarding what motivates our work in education and what we truly value about schools and the growth of the young people we serve.Although I struggle with this idea of acting like a ruthless capitalist, I can certainly agree with the notion of using data to drive decision making and the urgency of work and change that needs to take place within an organization to facilitate progress towards making all of our students successful. This in part certainly motivated the community partnerships that allow the Harlem Children's zone to engage in so much of the social education and services work that has made their work so successful. As schools consider their place and roles within communities “Whatever It Takes” offers valuable insight on how and why organizational partnerships within local networks don’t happen nearly enough within our schools. In this way the Harlem Children's Zone is a fantastic model for school leaders to use in examining how they can better utilize resources already present within their communities to support the families and children they serve.The way the book describes how these partnerships and programs have interwoven into the organization fabric of the Harlem Children’s Zone made this idea of the Conveyor Belt of safety nets and support structures that have made the school so successful. What I think is lost in the book is that Organizational frames were consciously used to inform how develop these programs developed. (Structure, Human Resources, Political, Symbolic) But, the context was unique to Harlem and although Canada’s quest has been to change Harlem and America the book fails to illustrate the degree of impact that context has on this work. While Baby College, 3 Year Old Journey, and Pre-Kinder (All Day) programs did wonders for Harlem many other factors need to be considered in developing functioning “Conveyor Belts” across schools in the United States.“Whatever It Takes” gives school leaders an opportunity to consider how relations with external organizations can be worked into the fabric of a school's structure. There are many lessons to be gained from considering how social capital can be cultivated from similar work and there are plenty of things to consider with regard to how Canada’s very authoritarian leadership style drove change in this institution through passion, dedication, and an unrivaled commitment to the students and community he serves in Harlem. Although this would not be a recommended read if you're looking for examples of distributed leadership, there are important lessons that can inform leaders of times that require more definitive charge and direction from a leader. “Whatever It Takes” is a wonderful read for leaders considering the structure and connections within their organizations and will challenge readers to consider the role leadership should take in driving school reforms.
