Superintendent Manny Caulk has launched a book club to help make education the center of public discourse, engage the community in critical conversations, and support development of a community of readers. It starts with “The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way” by Amanda Ripley, a former Time Magazine reporter who chronicled the experiences of three teenagers attending school in some of the world’s top-performing education systems.
“As we work together to help every student fulfill his or her unlimited potential, it is critical for our community to talk openly about ways to improve our education system. One way to spark these types of conversations is to have a shared reading experience,” said Caulk, who encouraged everyone in Fayette County – including students, staff, families, and community members – to participate. “Our school district faces two moral imperatives: moving students who are approaching proficiency to proficiency, and pushing our already proficient students to global competency. This first book speaks to our second moral imperative to help all students excel in a global society.”
Two community book club meetings are slated this month:
- 5 to 6:30 p.m. March 22 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers’ Bronte Bistro, 161 Lexington Green Circle;
- 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 24 at the Northside library branch, 1733 Russell Cave Road.
Multiple copies of the book are available at the Lexington Public Library, and Joseph-Beth expects more books to arrive this week. Every school library also has three copies for staff and students to check out.
In addition, two classes at Henry Clay High School and four at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School are reading the book. These students plan to Skype with the author on March 25, just before Spring Break.