Product Description

Thirteen years ago, Tom Bloch was CEO of H&R Block, the groundbreaking tax organization. The son of the company’s founder, he was a happily married 41-year-old executive, but something was missing from his life. After a nineteen-year career at the company, Bloch resigned his position to become a math teacher in an impoverished inner-city section of Kansas City. Stand for the Best reveals Bloch’s struggles to make a difference for his marginalized students and how he eventually co-founded a successful charter school, University Academy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31151 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From the Inside Flap

Stand for the Best

"In early 1995, quite deliberately, I stepped down as CEO of H&R Block, where I was making nearly a million dollars a year. I had decided on a higher calling: teaching math to inner-city kids. This is the story of how that decision changed my life and the lives of kids I tried to help."—From the Introduction

Tom Bloch was the successful CEO of H&R Block, the groundbreaking tax organization. The son of the company's founder, he was a happily married 41-year-old executive, but something was missing from his life.?After a nineteen-year career at the company, Bloch resigned his position to become a math teacher in an impoverished inner-city section of Kansas City.?Stand for the Best follows Bloch's struggles to make a difference for his marginalized students and how he eventually co-founded a successful charter school, University Academy.

But Stand for the Best is more than a memoir of one man's journey; the book also includes lessons learned from Bloch's experience, winning strategies from teachers he has known, valuable approaches for educating students no matter what their circumstances, and a unique model of education for teachers working with inner-city students. Most of all, it shows what can be accomplished when teachers, students, and the community all stand for the best.

From the Back Cover

People are Talking About Stand for the Best

"There couldn't be a more compelling story at a more critical time. Our schools need us; our young people need us. Tom Bloch boldly moved from success to significance. He became a teacher and in turn teaches us all the power and rewards of service."
—Marguerite W. Kondracke, president and CEO,America's Promise Alliance

"This is the story of an American hero, a modest and good-humored man who is bringing hope to children most in need. Everyone who cares about the children of America should read this book."
—Benno C. Schmidt, Jr., chairman of the Board of Trustees,City University of New York; former president, Yale University

"Stand for the Best should be read by any educator who wants to make a memorable difference in the dreams, character, and lives of young people . . . It should also be read by any person, whatever their calling, who wants to leave a lasting legacy for good. I loved this book."
—Tom Lickona, co-author, Smart & Good High Schools;director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, State University ofNew York at Cortland

"Tom Bloch's transition from CEO of H&R Block to inner-city math teacher is . . . a selfless portrait in educational leadership."
—John Baugh, Margaret Bush Wilson Professor in Arts and Sciences; director, African and African American Studies,Washington University in St. Louis

"Thomas Bloch is one of those rare people who 'walk the walk' and put their ethics into practice."
—LouAnne Johnson, author, Dangerous Minds, The Queen of Education, and Teaching Outside the Box

About the Author

Thomas M. Bloch, former CEO of H&R Block and currently a middle school math teacher and president of the board at University Academy, has been involved in a variety of education initiatives since he changed careers. He and his wife, Mary, founded the Youth Service Alliance of Greater Kansas City to encourage and recognize outstanding community service through school-based programs. He is also a founding board member of the Kansas City Foundation for Higher Education, a trustee of the University of Missouri at Kansas City, President of the Endowment Fund for the Henry W. Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and chairman of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. He returned to H&R Block in 2000?as a member of the board of directors.

Customer Reviews

Humorous, honest & hugely upbeat
What happens when you have everything, and it doesn't make you happy? Tom Bloch had a wonderful family, health,
wealth and was the CEO of his families tax preparation business.

But he decided that he could do more by being an inner city math teacher. So that is what
he became, and helped start a charter public school in Kansas City.

Whether you are an educator, parent, business person or someone thinking about your future, this is a GREAT book.
Bloch is tough on himself, recognizing that he had a strong support system.
He knows it was easier for him to walk away that it could be for others.

Bloch writes a strong defense of terrific teachers (some of whom he
describes, who he thinks should be paid a lot more money). He is explaining why the charter public school movement makes sense.

And he gently urges us to follow our heart, and to live the kind of life
that will most serve others, and make us happy. Wealth did NOT give Bloch what he wanted.

Walking away from a top corporate life, and walking into an inner city school to teach math, where he continues to
teach math, that's what added up for him. An upbeat and very encouraging book.

Joe In Minnesota

Wow!
Bloch's story is very uplifting. How many people in his position would leave it all behind to try to make a difference in the world? He readily admits he could afford to do so, but he has truly walked the walk, rather than just talking about it. This book puts it all out there--his internal struggles, the path he took and what he learned along the way. He underscores the importance of the teaching profession and makes a plea for society to give it more respect. This book will appeal to people considering a career change who aren't sure they have the courage to do it, teachers who question their significance, and just anyone who wants to be inspired.

Good read -- both entertaining and thoughtful
This is a good read. Tom Bloch's personal story is riveting and he is brave enough to share some very private emotions. But this book is more than a collection of anecdotes from the classroom where backpacks leak pickle juice and children regularly lose family members to shootings. Bloch has taken a thoughtful look at the herculean challenges before America's urban teachers and the universal human challenge to find purpose and meaning in our lives. He is also brave enough to offer some suggestions for institutional improvements. Worthwhile reading for anyone worried about America's schools and its students. Knowing that the book profits will go back into teacher training makes it easy to pay the hardback price.