It takes a school : the extraordinary story of an American school in the world's #1 failed state

It takes a school The extraordinary story of an American school in the world's #1 failed state

Jonathan Starr, 1976-

Book - 2016

An American hedge fund manager describes how he founded a unique school in Somaliland and overcame profound cultural differences, broken promises, and threats to his safety to create a school whose students, against all odds, have come to achieve extraordinary success.

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Subjects
Starr, Jonathan, > 1976-
Abaarso School of Science & Technology.
Schools > Somaliland (Secessionist government, 1991- )
Education > Somaliland (Secessionist government, 1991- )
Somali students.
Investment advisors > Biography.
Schools > Somaliland (Secessionist government, 1991- ) > Juvenile literature.
Published
New York : Henry Holt and Company [2016]
Language
English
Main Author
Jonathan Starr, 1976- (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xvi, 250 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781250113467
  • Foreword
  • Map
  • Prologue
  • Part 1. Burning My Ships
  • 1. My Somali Uncle
  • 2. Somaliland Roots
  • 3. From Hedge Fund Manager to Headmaster
  • 4. Modem-Day Nomad
  • 5. Results Day
  • 6. The Exam
  • 7. The Blank Sheet of Paper
  • Part 2. Building a School
  • 8. First Trip to Somaliland
  • 9. Clans
  • 10. Teachers
  • 11. The Abaarso Condition
  • Part 3. School Culture
  • 12. Mohamed: A Day in the Life
  • 13. Straight Talk and Motivation
  • 14. Fahima's Rocks
  • 15. Critical Thinking
  • 16. Fundamentals
  • 17. Integrity
  • 18. Suzanne's Orphanage
  • 19. Selection Day
  • Part 4. The Great Miscalculation
  • 20. The White Man Speaks Somali
  • 21. A Complex World
  • 22. The Village
  • 23. Like Water Through a Sieve
  • 24. Doing Something Right
  • 25. Money Disguised as Religion
  • 26. Trouble with the Boys
  • 27. Khadar's Rage
  • 28. Nothing Is Easy
  • 29. Harry's Mad Dash
  • 30. The Higher Education Commission
  • Part 5. Tenacity
  • 31. Selling Success
  • 32. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
  • 33. A Somali Among the Elite
  • 34. Twenty-Seven Schools in Twenty-Five Days
  • 35. SAT Trip
  • 36. Deportation
  • 37. The Full Arsenal
  • Part 6. Winning the Society
  • 38. Miss Marple
  • 39. Religious Council
  • 40. Vindication
  • 41. The Cherry on Top
  • Part 7. When Arms Are Open
  • 42. Show Me the Money
  • 43. Our Best Ambassadors
  • 44. The Future
  • 45. In Harvard Yard
  • Epilogue
  • Acknowledgments
Review by Booklist Review

Starr founded Abaarso, a secondary school in Somaliland, and this is his memoir. It is written in seven parts, starting with an overview of his story. Part two goes back to the beginning of what led Starr to visit Somaliland, a place he'd never been, and starting a school there. Each of the subsequent parts adds to the story about Starr's thoughts of building the school and why he made certain choices, moving along at a steady pace. Starr writes of having to address the cultural differences students in Somaliland had to overcome, such as the prevalence and acceptance of cheating. Starr's memoir concludes with the first graduating class and where they ended up. Overall, his story is more about events than people, and he has obscured the names of those who didn't want to be identified in this book. A good choice for readers of memoirs, as well as for those interested in alternative models for teaching and learning.--Troemel, Victoria Copyright 2017 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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