Kevin Miller’s book Know Power, Know Responsibility was released in July 2019.
From the back cover:
News Flash: The traditional factory model of school is holding back our students and our society, despite our educators’ best efforts.
What if we could eliminate student achievement gaps? What if we could substantially improve learning and skills development for every child?
Know Power, Know Responsibility provides a path for any community of caring citizens to offer its children the ultimate gift—the power to unleash their full potential. This book shows what a completely different school model could look like, explains how a new model could be implemented, and provides the process for actually doing so.
By fundamentally changing our approach to public education—by focusing on learning rather than teaching and by putting power into the hands of our children—those children will take on primary responsibility for their learning, growth, and development. This is not only possible, but it is essential and will have incredible benefits throughout our communities.
“Kevin Miller’s book is a remarkable, insightful and beautifully crafted work. His passion for the future of education and the children who rely on us to get it right is clear. Often provocative, hugely well researched and skillfully written; Kevin has created a must read for anyone interested in the future for our children. There are many books written about education but very few that make such a powerful and clear case for real transformation. I urge you all to dive in and then to take action.”
–Richard Gerver, award winning speaker, author of Creating Tomorrow’s Schools Today and Simple Thinking
“In Know Power, Know Responsibility, Kevin Miller offers a fresh approach to how we design and organize schools and support learning. He describes processes through which families and communities can become partners, planners, promoters, and protectors of learning. This grass roots approach opens the door to learning that is compelling for students and aligned with the context and vision of the communities in which they live.”
–James Rickabaugh, Senior Advisor & Former Director, The Institute for Personalized Learning, Author of Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning
From the inside front cover:
Neither rewards nor punishments can push someone to approach their true potential. In fact, rewards and punishments are significant obstacles to achieving one’s potential. That is why our current, compliance-based school model—with its endless array of rewards and punishments—can’t lead even some students to their full potential, let alone all students.
The only thing preventing us from having schools that will unleash the potential of every child is the entrenched institutionalization of the current model. We don’t change because so few people believe we can change.
In Know Power, Know Responsibility, Kevin Miller reveals the way forward. He provides a comprehensive explanation of how our current factory model of school is limiting the individual and collective potential of entire generations of children. He then illustrates an alternative model in which children are granted power over—and take responsibility for—their own learning, growth, and development. He provides counter-arguments to the reasons that will arise for why replacing the factory model can’t be done. Finally, Kevin offers a clear path for any community that chooses to reinvent their school model to allow every child to unleash her or his full potential.
From the inside back cover:
Kevin Miller is founder and director of Know Power, Know Responsibility LLC, an organization dedicated to helping everyone unleash their potential. He is on a mission to help every community design a school model that will unleash the potential of all their children. Kevin is an educator, US Army officer, and combat veteran whose 40-year journey in education included being a student, teacher, principal, charter school developer, and education consultant. A renowned educator and speaker, he is passionate about helping individuals and organizations discover and grow their power so they can take responsibility for unleashing their potential. For more information, visit knowresponsibility.com.