Education Reading List: Hunkering Down For Hurricane Sandy

With the Metro system shut down and all but essential federal offices closed, Washington, D.C. has ground to a halt as Hurricane Sandy makes its way up the Eastern Seaboard. Similar shutdowns -- of schools, public transportation and businesses -- are in place from South Carolina to Maine. In New York City, the nation's largest school district, campuses have been converted into emergency shelters.

We have been warned repeatedly that D.C. could see significant and sustained power outages. While we are all hopeful that doesn't come to pass, I do have a few education-related books I've been saving for the proverbial rainy day (and I'd say that threshold has already been met).

If you're looking for a good read, I recommend Paul Tough's How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character. In it, Tough argues that qualities like perseverance and self control matter more for long-term student success than scoring well on high-stakes exams that supposedly measure intelligence.

Tough's extensive New York Times Magazine piece on grit, and the role failure plays in student success,  prompted quite a few spirited conversations in education circles. I've since seen a number of seminars, panel discussions and workshops incorporate similar themes.

What's on your hurricane reading list? What classic education titles would you recommend in addition to some of the newer works? But most importantly, I hope those of you in Sandy's path stay dry -- and safe -- over the next few days.

Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Email EWA public editor Emily Richmond at erichmond@ewa.org. She also tweets @EWAEmily.