In What School Can Be Ackerly shows the elements of school culture necessary for delivering good education. For more than a century, “blue ribbon” task forces have been formed to improve America’s public schools. Most of these efforts have failed because of mistaken notions about education and a failure to understand children. Education is not just curriculum, standards, and textbooks. It is the culture of the school, and the culture of American schools hasn’t changed much. Ackerly’s stories of teachers, students, and principals at work show what can be accomplished when good educational cultures are applied.