Soar, David Banks
Soar, David Banks
List: $16.99 | Sale: $11.89
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Soar
How Boys Learn, Succeed, and Develop Character

Author: David Banks, G. F. Lichtenberg

Narrator: Sean Crisden

Unabridged: 7 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/13/2014

Categories: Nonfiction, Education


Synopsis

David C. Banks knows a few things about at-risk boys. In 2004, he petitioned New York City's mayor to allow an all-boys public school to open in one of the most troubled districts in the country, the South Bronx. He had a point to prove: When rituals that boys are innately drawn to are combined with college prep–level instruction and community mentorship, even the most challenging students can succeed. The result? The Eagle Academy for Young Men—the first all-boys public high school in New York City in more than thirty years—has flourished and has been successfully replicated in other boroughs and other states.

In Soar, Banks shares the experiences of individual kids from the Eagle Academy as well as his own personal story. He discusses the specific approach he and his team use to drive students, from tapping into their natural competitiveness and peer-sensitivity to finding teachers who know firsthand the obstacles these students face. Result-oriented and clear-eyed about the challenges and the promises of educating boys at risk, this is a book that no one who wants to see our young men flourish can afford to miss.

About David Banks

David C. Banks is the president and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation. He is the founding principal of the Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first school in a network of innovative all-boys public schools in New York City. David and his wife, Marion, live in New Jersey. They have four children and one grandchild.


Reviews

Goodreads review by William on March 27, 2017

As Banks points out, there is a gender problem in schools and boys are in trouble. This book is about the most affected-- black boys, but Banks does acknowledge all boys are disadvantaged in the current system. I would have loved him to get into other reasons why: learning styles, learning preferenc......more

Goodreads review by Nshslibrary on November 05, 2014

In schools all across the US, boys are twice as likely to be held back and five times as likely to be expelled compared to girls. Boys have 70 to 80 percent of behavioral problems and consistently score lower on tests than girls. This reality is even more pronounced in African-American and Hispanic......more

Goodreads review by Jenny on February 06, 2015

I thought this was a parenting book and it isn't - it's in the education section and it's all about teaching young men and boys. Very interesting, very direct writing style which I liked. I gleaned some good stuff about boys and their development, and it was a peek into a world that I'm not familiar......more

Goodreads review by Terra on October 03, 2014

The difference between this book and every other book out there concerning boys is that it's personal. Banks just gets it. This is a great read for anyone concerned about the "plight of our boys".......more

Goodreads review by Hayden on July 22, 2015

I read this for a class- but a lot of good information on how to effectively get boys to stay engaged in the classroom and not get involved in negative behaviors outside of school.......more