“Not all readers become leaders, but all leaders must be readers.” – Harry Truman
During a campaign season I am asked a whole host of questions. However, I have yet to be asked this singularly important question that I believe should be posed to anyone running for public office:
What books have influenced your outlook?
Here’s my shortlist:
How We Think – John Dewey
Experience and Education – John Dewey
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey
Our Kids – Robert Putnam
Bearing the Cross – David Garrow
Someone Has to Fail – David Labaree
Empowered Educators – Linda Darling-Hammond & others
Abraham Lincoln: The War Years – Carl Sandburg
The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Reign of Error – Diane Ravitch
There’s more – but that is a start. I love to talk about books – they fuel my insatiable curiosity. I think such a question should be especially important to ask a candidate for a school board since they are vying to lead an educational institution.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened yet.
Jim Schul 