Overview

The U.S. education system is not meeting the needs of all our children, especially those who are economically disadvantaged. For too many families, income level and ZIP code determine the quality of education available to their children. The need to give all children access to a good education, a chance for a better future, has never been greater. Launched in 1998 by philanthropists Ted Forstmann and John Walton, the Children’s Scholarship Fund has offered thousands of low-income children across the country the chance to attend private school, children who would have otherwise never experienced the benefits of a private education. In Opportunity and Hope, prominent journalist Naomi Schaefer Riley chronicles the lives of 10 scholarship alumni who—because of the educational opportunities afforded them—were able to turn less than perfect childhood circumstances into successful lives and careers. The stories of these children, representative of thousands of others and their families, are nothing less than inspirational. They are proof that all any of America’s children need to achieve their dreams is a chance, and someone to believe in them. They are also a testament to the power of private schools, including many inner-city faith-based schools, and they are evidence that given the chance for the right kind of education, anyone can achieve the American dream.

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9781442226098

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Reviews

In both her introduction and conclusion, New York Post columnist Riley (The Faculty Lounges) makes a case for enabling all parents, regardless of their economic status, to choose where they send their children to school. In the body of the book, the author relates the success stories of ten students whose parents were able to do just that through money received from the Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF). All of the accounts have common elements: the students are each from low-income (often recent immigrant) families with parents for whom education is a priority. Without a doubt, these narratives are inspiring and show how a solid education (and an engaged guardian) can positively influence the direction of a young person’s life. It is clear that Riley believes wholly in leveling the educational playing field and that her admiration for the accomplishments of the CSF is well placed. . . .VERDICT A feel-good text on the life-changing impact of private, particularly parochial, education. This work will appeal to proponents of education reform and those in favor of the voucher system. * Library Journal * Naomi Schaefer Riley has an ear for stories that make a difference and the accounts of young people who have used their proceeds from the Children’s Scholarship Fund to improve their lives are inspirational and instructive: a little help can go a long way in transforming prospects for students who are trapped in schools that don’t work. Giving kids a chance and parents a choice makes Opportunity and Hope a great read. -- Mike McCurry, White House Press Secretary, 1995–98 Tellingly told, these stirring tales of voucher-triggered life transformations force the question: Why should children from poor families not have the same chance to go to good schools as do the progeny of the well-to-do? -- Paul E. Peterson, Harvard University, Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government, Director, Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance I have observed over the years that investing in people through education almost always generates returns far beyond what can be projected.  Opportunity and Hope vividly describes how the Children’s Scholarship Fund is a perfect example of that concept.  The Fund has committed to noble work which has touched many lives and in that way shapes the future of our country. -- Henry Cisneros, Founder and Chairman, CityView, former HUD Secretary John [Walton] and I always believed that education should be a non-partisan issue and that for our country to maintain a global leadership position, our educational system had to improve. Our thought was that if the money followed the child through an open educational choice system, parents and students would make choices that benefited them, and that vast improvements would take place. As an experiment to prove this, John, along with Teddy Forstmann, founded the Children’s Scholarship Fund. They wanted to find out if parents were allowed to choose the school that their children could attend, would they really care, would they make good decisions, would outcomes change? As you will find in reading this book, yes, parents care, and outcomes change in a very positive manner. All parents should have a choice of educational options, and our children should have an equal opportunity to develop their skills and talents. -- Christy Walton Opportunity and Hope tells a beautiful story of the magic that can occur – and the lives that can be transformed – when children are given the opportunity to attend great schools. The key is that parents can choose which school is best for their children – a right that all wealthy parents have, but poor parents didn’t until the Children’s Scholarship Fund came along. Read this book – and then join the fight to give all parents educational options for their children. -- Whitney Tilson, Managing Partner, Kase Capital Management, Education Reform Advocate Since its inception, our nation's education system has allowed families to choose the best schools for their children–if they can afford it. Through the inspirational stories of ten students, Naomi Schaefer Riley makes a compelling case that all families deserve a say in their children's education. -- Matthew M. Chingos, Fellow, Brookings Institution, Brown Center on Education Policy In this book, Naomi Riley demonstrates a pure understanding of what works for all of our children – programs like Children’s Scholarship Fund which allow parents to choose schools that best serve their children’s needs. At Trey Whitfield School, I’ve seen first-hand that when students benefit from a strong educational foundation, college can become a reality, not just a dream. -- A.B. Whitfield, Co-Founder and COO of Trey Whitfield School, Brooklyn, NY

Naomi Schaefer Riley has an ear for stories that make a difference and the accounts of the young people who have used their proceeds from the Children's Scholarship Fund to improve their lives are inspirational and instructive: a little help can go a long way in transforming the prospects for students who are trapped in schools that don't work. Giving kids a chance and parents a choice makes Opportunity and Hope a great read. -- Mike McCurry, Former White House Press Secretary, 1995-98 Tellingly told, these stirring tales of voucher-triggered life transformations force the question: Why should children from poor families not have the same chance to go to good schools as do the progeny of the well-to-do? -- Paul E. Peterson, Harvard University, Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government, Director, Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance I have observed over the years that investing in people through education almost always generates returns far beyond what can be projected. Opportunity and Hope vividly describes how the Children's Scholarship Fund is a perfect example of that concept. The Fund has committed to noble work which has touched many lives and in that way shapes the future of our country. -- Henry Cisneros, Founder and Chairman, CityView, former HUD Secretary John [Walton] and I always believed that education should be a non-partisan issue and that for our country to maintain a global leadership position, our educational system had to improve. Our thought was that if the money followed the child through an open educational choice system, parents and students would make choices that benefited them, and that vast improvements would take place. As an experiment to prove this, John, along with Teddy Forstmann, founded the Children's Scholarship Fund. They wanted to find out if parents were allowed to choose the school that their children could attend, would they really care, would they make good decisions, would outcomes change? As you will find in reading this book, yes, parents care, and outcomes change in a very positive manner. All parents should have a choice of educational options, and our children should have an equal opportunity to develop their skills and talents. -- Christy Walton Opportunity and Hope tells a beautiful story of the magic that can occur - and the lives that can be transformed - when children are given the opportunity to attend great schools. The key is that parents can choose which school is best for their children - a right that all wealthy parents have, but poor parents didn't until the Children's Scholarship Fund came along. Read this book - and then join the fight to give all parents educational options for their children. -- Whitney Tilson, Managing Partner, Kase Capital Management, Education Reform Advocate Since its inception, our nation's education system has allowed families to choose the best schools for their children--if they can afford it. Through the inspirational stories of ten students, Naomi Schaefer Riley makes a compelling case that all families deserve a say in their children's education. -- Matthew M. Chingos, Fellow, Brookings Institution, Brown Center on Education Policy

Author Information

"Naomi Schaefer Riley is a regular columnist for the New York Post. She also edits the Wall Street Journal’s weekly Houses of Worship column. Ms. Riley was, until recently, the deputy Taste editor of the Journal, where she covered religion, higher education and philanthropy for the editorial page. Her writing has also been published in the Boston Globe, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. She is a regular guest on Fox Business’s Varney & Co. Ms. Riley is the author of The Faculty Lounges… And Other Reasons You Won’t Get the College Education You Paid For (Ivan Dee, 2011) and God on the Quad: How Religious Colleges and the Missionary Generation Are Changing America. Her book on interfaith marriage in America is titled: “’Til Faith Do Us Part."" She has ghostwritten two books, Startup Weekend: How to Take a Company From Concept to Creation in 54 Hours and Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation."

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