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Barb Williams on The Harlem Project

Barb Williams forwarded a recent letter to the NY Times Magazine regarding the June 20, 2004 article: "It Takes a Hood" on The Harlem Project:

Of the many efforts aimed at interrupting the effects of poverty on kids' lives, none has left me more hopeful than Paul Tough's piece on The Harlem Project. Geoffrey Canada, to my mind, has got it right. His focus on poor black kids' success in school, his goal to reach those least likely to succeed, and his preference for programs that emphasize accountablility are not new. But combine that with his plans for a charter school with longer days, a longer school year and a demanding curriculum (despite rifling the feathers of the teachers' union) while having in place a network of support had me, a sometimes sad cynic, rooting him on. Maybe one day kids like Janiqua Utley will be guaranteed the kind education Canada envisions, rather than land on a waiting list. And perhaps Canada has identified what needs to be in place in order for children to imagine their own possibilities--unconstrained by their circumstances--and the means to realize them. We ought to pay very close attention. I salute Canada.