The Best School: Practical Ideas on What Really Works in Education

No extra credit. No late work. A strict grading scale. Administrators in classrooms daily. Few interruptions. With 32 years in education, Dr. Keen Babbage has seen his share of the highs, the lows, and what really works in education from the most important perspective: the classroom. "The Best School" explores some of his deeply held beliefs gained from this perspective, a “tell all that matters” filled with practical, authentic, and realistic thoughts on how to improve a system too often weighed down by bureaucracy, bad ideas, and unrealistic goals. In these pages, you’ll find no perfect formula. There is no magic solution. There is only considerate thought and inviting conversation. Truth emerges when ideas collide, and "The Best School" encourages you to engage with the ideas presented inside and come to your own conclusions. Is your school the best school? Through dedication to the high standards and focus on a unified vision at every level of education, it could be. But the best school is not powered by intentions. The best school is powered by sensible actions that get the desired results. Each school can get great results. Each school can reach bestness. Read on and let’s think about how to make that happen.

Keen Babbage, Ed. D., retired from a 27-year career in public education in 2016. He had been a middle school teacher, a middle school assistant principal, and a high school teacher. Earlier in his career, he worked for five years at two private schools. He has also worked in advertising/marketing for eight years at three large companies. He has written 19 other books about education in two areas of emphasis: teaching and school leadership/management. He has written three additional books: Life Lessons from Cancer (which was coauthored by Laura Babbage), Life Lessons from a Dog Named Rudy, and Take More Naps. He currently resides in Lexington, KY.