Preview
  • Work Hard. Be Nice.

  • How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America
  • By: Jay Mathews
  • Narrated by: J. Paul Boehmer
  • Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (118 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Work Hard. Be Nice.

By: Jay Mathews
Narrated by: J. Paul Boehmer
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.03

Buy for $18.03

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

When Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin signed up for Teach for America right after college and found themselves utter failures in the classroom, they vowed to remake themselves into superior educators. They did that and more.

In their early twenties, by sheer force of talent and determination never to take no for an answer, they created a wildly successful fifth-grade experience that would grow into the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), which today includes 66 schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

KIPP schools incorporate what Feinberg and Levin learned from America's best, most charismatic teachers: lessons need to be lively; school days need to be longer (the KIPP day is nine and a half hours); the completion of homework has to be sacrosanct (KIPP teachers are available by telephone day and night). Chants, songs, and slogans such as "Work hard, be nice" energize the program. Illuminating the ups and downs of the KIPP founders and their students, Mathews gives us something quite rare: a hopeful book about education.

©2009 Jay Mathews (P)2009 HighBridge Company.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"A grand example of humanitarianism in the classroom: Naysayers who believe there's no hope for America's inner-city schools haven't met Feinberg and Levin." ( Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Work Hard. Be Nice.

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    57
  • 4 Stars
    39
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    40
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    46
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring

This book is a great story of dedicated school teachers. It made me want to be the best teacher I can be.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful