Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn | 
| Authors: Rebecca Dufour, Robert Eaker, Gayle Karhanek, Richard Dufour
Publisher: Solution Tree
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 3602
Media: Perfect Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 263
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 1932127283
Dewey Decimal Number: 371.102
EAN: 9781932127287
ASIN: 1932127283
Publication Date: June 1, 2004
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Product Description
Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don t Learn examines the question, What happens when, despite our best efforts in the classroom, a student does not learn? . A professional learning community creates a school-wide system of interventions that provides all students with additional time and support when they experience difficulty in their learning. The authors describe the systems of interventions, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School s Pyramid of Interventions, created by a high school, a middle school, and two elementary schools. The authors also discuss the logistical barriers these schools faced and their strategies for overcoming them.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 PLCs work! March 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Whatever it Takes is an inspirational book that leads educators through the work needed to develop a true Professional Learning Community (PLC). When you have a staff ready to do whatever it takes, you are well on your way to helping ALL students achieve academic success.
 Whatever You Can Do to Pass A Student January 21, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I find it troubling that so much of this author's claim lies at the fountainhead of what he calls learning, but where does he explain what "learning" actually is? He appears to skirt around this issue in every chapter. After reading the book, I am left with the feeling that learning, for DuFour, is something that I do as a teacher when I fill students' heads up with information. I take my pitcher of what-is-to-be-learned and carefully pour it in each student's head. According to DuFour, some heads are not equipped with funnels, so a cadre of teachers assemble to cascade what-is-to-be-learned, pouring waterfall-like liquids of learning over various student heads in the hopes that some of the precious liquid will stay. By the end of twelfth grade, because a deluge of learning has been cast at the students, enough of the learning-liquid should be present for adult proficency. There is one major part about this metaphor that bothers me, though: What role do students play in learning? Again, according to DuFour, students are only vessels to contain learning. To be honest, I've never thought of my students as cups or glasses.
"Blame the Teachers!" says this book September 14, 2007
11 out of 20 found this review helpful
The book has some good points (maybe one and a half stars), but it was difficult to read it due to my eyes rolling at every other sentence.
To James O'Keefe: Right on! I totally agree 100%. You need to write a book! (It might be difficult to get it published though, considering the PLCC has probably got a stronghold on all educational publishing.) Teamwork is great and definitely has its place. But this book is talking about much more than teamwork. It's talking about placing 100% of the blame on teachers and principals. What about the parents? What about the student who won't even try to learn?
Regarding what another reviewer wrote: Well, two comments: First of all, it's funny you mentioned Koolade in your review. Speaking of Koolade: Don't drink it! Too many people already have! (If you don't know what I'm talking about, I suggest you read up on the modern history of cults.) Secondly, speaking of water fountains, I have this to say: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it.
One more thing about this book: The authors compare certain teachers (ones who believe in the "horse" metaphor above), to Pontius Pilate. You know, the guy who literally ordered Jesus to be crucified. All I can say is this: I'm a teacher at a low socio-economic school, I work 50-60 hours a week, I get along with my colleagues and students, and yet I do believe in the horse metaphor. The Pontius Pilate metaphor is just a bunch of, well, to put it in educated words, insulting, ridiculous, abusive slander to the teachers and principals who work so hard every single day.
Should have been an essay. August 6, 2007
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Basic ideas are sound, but I think nothing ground-breaking. I felt that each chapter could have been shortened into a paragraph or two. At most, this should have been an essay. Based on the way the book was written, I got the feeling that the authors were trying to influence the reader much the same way as a cult would try to brainwash a prospective member. While I agree that teachers should teach children to learn, I feel that the student will be in trouble upon graduation as the system of support will be gone. They will have to perform or fail... period. I felt the book to be too wordy, too preachy, too liberal... did I say too wordy?
 Dragged Towards the End May 30, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I haven't finished this book yet. I found the beginning useful and read it on recommendation of a former principal. There is a lot of talk about secondary schools.
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