One Door at a Time reveals Concentric's journey in revolutionizing education. By centering students and families, they dismantle systemic barriers, offering a blueprint for equitable, empowering learning environments that prioritize student success and well-being.
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One Door at a Time reveals Concentric's journey in revolutionizing education. By centering students and families, they dismantle systemic barriers, offering a blueprint for equitable, empowering learning environments that prioritize student success and well-being.
Read Less
Add this copy of One Door at a Time: The Story of Concentric and How to cart. $46.03, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2025 by Brill.
Add this copy of One Door at a Time: the Story of Concentric and How to cart. $79.01, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by Brill Academic Pub.
Add this copy of One Door at a Time: the Story of Concentric and How to cart. $110.43, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by Brill Academic Pub.
Add this copy of One Door at a Time: the Story of Concentric and How to cart. $187.76, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by Brill Academic Pub.
Add this copy of One Door at a Time: the Story of Concentric and How to cart. $237.17, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by Brill Academic Pub.
One Door at a Time is a powerful memoir-manifesto hybrid, co-written by Michael Gary Jr., David L. Heiber Sr., and Ivory A. Toldson, that tells the story of Concentric Educational Solutions, a student-first initiative grounded in Afrocentric values and real-world experience. Through a mix of lived narratives, reflective critique, and practical frameworks, the book charts the failures of the traditional education system, especially in underserved Black communities, and the grassroots, door-knocking, relationship-centered model that Concentric has pioneered. With stories from Baltimore to D.C. to Detroit, the authors show how putting students and their families at the core of the education process can transform not just academic performance, but lives.
The writing is earnest and clear, but it never hides from the hard stuff. I appreciated how the authors peeled back layers of bureaucracy and systemic dysfunction without sugarcoating anything. They didn�t shy away from naming how some systems are built not to serve but to survive themselves. What hit hardest were the sections about chronic absenteeism and the real lives behind those data points. They didn�t just throw around big ideas, they brought in stories of missed kids, misunderstood families, and teachers caught in the crossfire of outdated models. It felt deeply personal. You can tell these folks have walked the walk.
What stood out most to me was their relentless commitment to human connection. It sounds simple, just go to a student's house and ask why theyââ?¬â?¢re not in school, but the bravery and humility in that act is huge. This isnââ?¬â?¢t some theoretical overhaul. Itââ?¬â?¢s a day-to-day grind rooted in trust and compassion. The Afrocentric lens added a depth I didnââ?¬â?¢t realize was missing in a lot of education reform writing. Theyââ?¬â?¢re not just advocating for more ââ?¬Å"diverseââ?¬Â? classrooms. Theyââ?¬â?¢re rethinking what school means altogether, from the ground up, through culture, family, and identity. At times, it read like a love letter to forgotten students and a challenge to every adult who ever said, ââ?¬Å"We did our best.ââ?¬Â?
I would recommend One Door at a Time to anyone who works in education, or who has ever wondered why school isn�t working for so many kids. It�s especially important for policymakers, school leaders, and those in teacher prep programs. But I think it would move anyone who believes education should be about more than test scores. This book isn�t a silver bullet, but it�s a flashlight and a set of tools, and a reminder that sometimes, real change starts with just knocking on one door.
