Review of Passionate Warrior: My Charter School Journey

Okafor Prosper · Post by **Okafor Prosper** » 25 Aug 2021, 01:33

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Passionate Warrior: My Charter School Journey" by Dr. Jacqueline Elliot.]

4 out of 4 stars

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In 1986, Dr. Jacqueline Elliot commenced her journey through the noble profession of teaching. It wouldn't be until her stint in her second school, Pacoima Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), that she would recognize the glaring signs of the urgent need for public school reform. The high rates of adolescent pregnancy, drug use, gang affiliation, poor graduation rates, teachers' low expectations of students, and the defeatist attitude of teachers were just a few of the numerous stumbling blocks to students from poor homes in the Northeast San Fernando Valley getting the quality education they deserved.

Dr. Jacqueline Elliot's Passionate Warrior: My Charter School Journey details her journey through tackling the issue of a low standard of education for children in that community by starting up the first public charter middle school. This journey would be anything but an easy one, however, with the author facing one stumbling block after another. How far can she take her dream?

The word "passionate" in the book title perfectly epitomizes the author's approach towards the education of children. Her high level of passion is evident from the first parts of the book, especially where she starts to notice the state of the education offered in Pacoima Elementary. This was what drew me into the story, as I admired the author's personality and rooted for her through the numerous obstacles she encountered. There were a lot of life lessons to learn from the author's story, not just about adopting a failure-is-not-an-option attitude while chasing your dreams but also about the significance of being compassionate, holding yourself to higher standards, and facing your fears.

Dr. Jacqueline Elliot's storytelling ability is also noteworthy. Her ability to present the details of the story clearly and in an engaging manner, coupled with the injection of suspense that came with her being so close to failure occasionally, is highly commendable. The author gives readers the perfect idea of how the situation was at different points of the story, providing newspaper articles, comparisons between her school and other schools showing progress or decline, and even pictures to bring her story to life.

Furthermore, while the author tells her story in a passionate tone, and she exudes a can-do spirit throughout, she is also reflective on the times that she could have done things differently, and this also speaks to her character as someone who always looks to improve by learning from past mistakes. She also shows appreciation for several people that helped her on her journey, including the parents of the children in her school, without who nothing would have been possible.

The book is professionally edited as well since I found just six errors throughout the 303-page read. I cannot think of anything I dislike about this book. It was an inspiring, educative, and well-executed read. Therefore, a rating of four out of four stars is in order. Readers who enjoy memoirs will love every moment of Passionate Warrior: My Charter School Journey.

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Passionate Warrior: My Charter School Journey
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Pearl Thomas · Post by **Pearl Thomas** » 31 Aug 2021, 02:27

Reformation in the social dynamics of schools, education, and its administration is a great topic for a book. Thank you for a detailed and interesting review.

Precious DA · Post by **Precious DA** » 31 Aug 2021, 04:15

Passion for one's profession matters a great deal. There's a need for change and reformation in the educational sector and who best to start the change than people who identity the importance of this sector and have a strong passion for it. It is difficult to find passionate workers in most sectors. Thanks for the review!

Chiwelite O · Post by **Chiwelite O** » 31 Aug 2021, 04:52

Sounds like you enjoyed this one. I'm proud that she did exploits. Thank you for your recommendation and for the detailed review.

Emmanuel Luyakha · Post by **Emmanuel Luyakha** » 02 Sep 2021, 12:48

Indeed a warrior-like character has already been exhibited from the look of the review. The author was bold enough to initiate public school reform. Thanks for the review.