Kopp Quotes & Sayings

Alan Rocke's Image and Reality does so many things vividly and convincingly: it shows how visual images led chemistry step by step to the reality of the microscopic world; how simple portrayals of the logic of substitution and combination were reified; brings to our attention the imaginative, neglected work of Williamson and Kopp; and takes a critical look at Kekule's daydream. And it beautifully delineates the essential place the imagination has in science. A rewarding, lively picture of chemistry in formation. — Roald Hoffmann

Ending educational inequality is going to require systemic change and a long-term, sustained effort. There are no shortcuts and no silver bullets. — Wendy Kopp

People are everything in education, just as in the corporate world. — Wendy Kopp

The most reliable way to be certain of their classroom impact is through independent studies conducted by third-party organisations which compare the student growth in our corps members' classrooms to that of other teachers in similar situations. — Wendy Kopp

Common Core results finally give families an accurate barometer of whether our kids are mastering the skills they need to succeed in a knowledge-based global economy, early enough that we can intervene. — Wendy Kopp

School boards can be a steppingstone to higher forms of political leadership. — Wendy Kopp

Healing from an eating disorder is a personal journey - the medicine is whatever reminds you that you do in fact want to live, and that you are worthy and capable of love. — Shannon Kopp

When a patient says he feels stuck and confused, and through good intentions he struggles to become loose and clear, he only remains chronically trapped in the mire of his own stubbornness. If instead he will go with where he is, only then is there hope. If he will let himself get deeply into the experience of being stuck, only then will he reclaim that part of himself that is holding him. Only if he will give up trying to control his thinking, and let himself sink into his confusion, only then will things become clear. (64) — Sheldon B. Kopp

So it is that God tugs at a pilgrim's sleeve telling him to remember that he is only human. He must be his own man, remain in exile, and belong to himself. He must pay attention to his own feelings and to the meaning of what he does, if he is to be for himself, and yet for others as well. — Sheldon B. Kopp

All over the world, children facing the challenges of poverty attend schools that aren't designed to meet their extra needs; across country lines, the lives of marginalized kids look far more similar than they do different. — Wendy Kopp

Joy sat in my throat like an egg resting on a spoon, quiet and fragile, but real. — Shannon Kopp

I had been very focused on the issue of education disparities in our country, and literally, by the time kids are just nine years old, in low-income communities, they're already three or four grade levels behind nine-year-olds in high-income communities. — Wendy Kopp

Our experience at Teach For America has been that the more people understand educational inequity, the more they want to do something about it. — Wendy Kopp

I think people are attracted to teaching because they want to make a real impact. — Wendy Kopp

I'll get up at 5 or 6. I try to catch up on sleep on the weekends, so I'll try to get seven hours of sleep. During the week, my ideal is to go to bed at 9 and wake up six hours later. — Wendy Kopp

For a long time now I have trusted my dreaming self as wiser than that waking self whose head is cluttered with reason and practicalities, so busy trying to control things that he sometimes forgets that the heart has reasons that reason does not know. When I dream, I never forget to trust myself. — Sheldon B. Kopp

That is one of the reasons why a man should pick a path with heart, so that he can find his laughter. — Sheldon B. Kopp

It has been a long time since I believed in Reality. I prefer the loveliness and the terror of my subjective experiences to those coldly scientific explanations which in the long run turn out to be no more real, and far less fun, than my own fantasies and musings. — Sheldon B. Kopp

I remember a group therapy session when one of the patients was reluctantly turning his corner. He would accept it, he said, but he wouldn't like the idea of having to solve problems every day for the rest of his life. My co-therapist told him that it was not required that he like it. She shared her own displeasure, saying: 'I remember that when I first discovered what life was like, I was furious. I guess I'm still kind of mad sometimes.' (135) — Sheldon B. Kopp

We are working essentially to build a leadership force of folks who will, during their first two years of teaching, actually put their kids on a different trajectory - not just survive as a new teacher, but actually help close the achievement gap for their kids. — Wendy Kopp

We have found that the most successful teachers in low-income communities operate like successful leaders. They establish a vision of where their students will be performing at the end of the year that many believe to be unrealistic. — Wendy Kopp

While I started out with a vague understanding that diversity would be important, my own observations have led me to realize that achieving greater levels of diversity is in fact vital to our long-term success. — Wendy Kopp

And so, it is not astonishing that, though the patient enters therapy insisting that he wants to change, more often than not, what he really wants is to remain the same and to get the therapist to make him feel better. (4) — Sheldon B. Kopp

If we freed up all the money in the certification process, think about how much more money we'd have to put into teacher salaries. — Wendy Kopp

Anarchy could never get a man to the moon, but it may the only mode that can allow us to survive on earth. — Sheldon B. Kopp

We believe strongly in transparency and accountability, which is why Teach For America encourages rigorous independent evaluations of our program. Our mission is too important to operate in any other way. — Wendy Kopp

When people think the issue can be solved, it becomes a moral imperative to be part of the solution. We can do a lot more within our school districts to recruit aggressively, select people according to high standards, invest in their training and development, and foster and reward their leadership. Once we invest more in attracting, developing and retaining teachers, potential recruits will begin to see it as a profession worth considering. — Wendy Kopp

There is a perception in our communities that we have low educational outcomes in low-income communities because kids aren't motivated or families don't care. We've discovered that is not the case. — Wendy Kopp

I often hear from new graduates that it's better to wait until you have more experience ... But I'm a big believer in the power of inexperience ... The world needs you before you stop asking naive questions and while you have the time to understand the true nature of the complex problems we face and take them on. — Wendy Kopp

I've never began any important venture for which I felt adequate prepared — Sheldon B. Kopp

It is not possible to know how much is just enough, until we have experienced how much is more than enough. (64) — Sheldon B. Kopp

We're trying to be the top employer of recent grads in the country. Size gives us leverage to have a tangible impact on school systems. — Wendy Kopp

In a society that glorifies the pioneers, it's easy to think that an endeavor is only worth pursuing if you can be the first to pursue it. — Wendy Kopp

I myself was completely torn by the decision to start Teach For America. There was a voice in my head telling me not to do it - to take a more normal path. I did have one thing going for me, which was that I had been rejected from all the other jobs I'd applied to. — Wendy Kopp

The evidence would suggest that there are some great alternative certification programmes and some lousy ones. There are some wonderful traditional education schools, and some that aren't so effective. What's important is less the pathway than the impact on students. — Wendy Kopp

Cultivating more leaders who reflect our heterogeneous society depends on universities' transparent use of race as one of many factors in an admissions process that is accessible to all. — Wendy Kopp

Teach For America would not be able to continue recruiting and developing an ever-more diverse and impactful group of corps members and alumni if the nation's leading colleges become even less diverse. — Wendy Kopp

It's time to declare a cease-fire in the education arms race. We have far more to gain from collaborating to solve our common problems than competing for higher rankings. — Wendy Kopp

Openness to my own dreams puts me in touch with the oldest, most human aspects of who I am; it helps me find my place in the community of man. — Sheldon B. Kopp

The idea that computers can ever replace teachers and schools reveals a deep lack of understanding about the role leadership plays in student success. — Wendy Kopp

Technology has enormous potential to address educational needs more efficiently, help teachers improve their performance, and enrich and individualize student learning. — Wendy Kopp

He prefers the security of known misery to the misery of unfamiliar insecurity. — Sheldon B. Kopp

Let the tech firms and consulting firms build your skills, but be sure to ask yourself, 'Am I maximizing my impact?' 'Am I living up to my values?' — Wendy Kopp

Charter laws do something really important. They give educators the freedom and flexibility that they need to attain results. But we also have to invest a lot in the leadership pipeline to take advantage of that freedom and flexibility. — Wendy Kopp

I have not seen that standardised tests make the profession less attractive, though some principals respond to them in a way that drives the best teachers out of their schools (by over-emphasising test prep in the school curriculum for example). On the other hand, great teachers want benchmarks to measure progress and tests can help with that. — Wendy Kopp

All significant battles are fought within self. — Sheldon B. Kopp

We should be individualizing instruction, utilizing that data to actually give teachers the tools necessary to meet the needs of a very diverse group of kids which exists in every class. — Wendy Kopp

Kids who live in low income areas face extra challenges and show up at schools that were not designed to meet their extra needs. — Wendy Kopp

Effective teacher support in my mind is the same thing as effective management. Our teachers need strong management, just like anyone in any profession. — Wendy Kopp

It's possible to train great people, but a person with great training who doesn't have certain characteristics is only going to go so far. — Wendy Kopp

In every case where I've seen a transformational school, there's a principal who really has the foundational experience of having taught successfully. — Wendy Kopp

Whenever we've seen the kids in the most disadvantaged context truly excel, always it's been in classrooms and in whole schools where there is a clear vision of where the kids have the potential to be. — Wendy Kopp

Sometimes life seems like a poorly designed cage within which man has been sentenced to be free. — Sheldon B. Kopp

We're looking for people out there who have demonstrated that they are leaders, have track records of achievement, and want to be part of a force ... of a much larger force of determined people who want to bring about, ultimately, institutional change. — Wendy Kopp

Each of us is ultimately alone. — Sheldon B. Kopp

We're not trying to be the only route into teaching. We do put enormous energy into understanding what differentiates the most successful teachers. — Wendy Kopp

Countries have largely been left alone to handle or ignore their educational problems as they see fit. In part, this was because we assumed that the contexts and challenges were so different from nation to nation that education could not be tackled at the international level. — Wendy Kopp

Persistent inequality costs the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars a year, undermining our global competitiveness, our democracy, and our ideals as a nation. — Wendy Kopp

It's Teach For America's responsibility to ensure that all alumni know their voices are heard and valued, and to surface the range of opinion they represent. — Wendy Kopp

Each person's only hope for improving his lot rests on recognizing the true nature of his or her basic personality, surrendering to it, and becoming who he or she really is. — Sheldon B. Kopp

If I reveal myself without worrying about how others will respond, then some will care, though others may not. But who can love me, if no one knows me? I must risk it, or live alone. — Sheldon B. Kopp

You are free to do whatever you like. You need only face the consequences. — Sheldon B. Kopp

Kids in urban and rural areas face so many challenges, and they show up at schools that don't have the extra capacity or extra resources to meet their needs. — Wendy Kopp

In the long run, we will need many more African-American, Latino, and Native American leaders, and leaders from low-income communities, who can bring additional insight and a deeply grounded sense of urgency, and who are the most likely to inspire the necessary trust and engagement among students' parents and community leaders. — Wendy Kopp

Maintaining the illusion that I am in control is futile, lonely, and in the long run more always costly than the effort is worth. — Sheldon B. Kopp

We look for people who demonstrate perseverance in the face of challenges, the ability to influence and motivate others - people who want to work relentlessly to ensure that kids who are facing the challenges of poverty have an excellent education. — Wendy Kopp

As a founder of two organizations that recruit top college graduates to expand educational opportunity, I've spent a lot of time examining what's at work in successful classrooms and schools over the past two decades. — Wendy Kopp

You can't make anyone love you. You just have to reveal who you are and take your chances. (105) — Sheldon B. Kopp

Escape is not a dirty word. None of us can face what's happening head-on all of the time. — Sheldon B. Kopp

Dartmouth is such a special college with its rich history, dedicated student body, and, as I've been learning more recently, colorful customs. — Wendy Kopp

I believe that answers your questions," Sheriff Heath said, returning to his seat.
A brawny Italian man in the back of the room said, "No, sir, I didn't get an answer to my question about marriage proposals."
I jumped up before Sheriff Heath could. These reporters needed to see that I could speak for myself. "The presence or absence of suitors in the lives of the Kopp sisters has no bearing on this matter," I told them, "and I see no men here today who would stand a chance with any one of us. — Amy Stewart

Transformations require that we let go of familiar ways of doing things, without yet knowing what we will do next. — Sheldon B. Kopp

There is the image of the man who imagines himself to be a prisoner in a cell. He stands at one end of this small, dark, barren room, on his toes, with arms stretched upward, hands grasping for support onto a small, barred window, the room's only apparent source of light. If he holds on tight, straining toward the window, turning his head just so, he can see a bit of bright sunlight barely visible between the uppermost bars. This light is his only hope. He will not risk losing it. And so he continues to staring toward that bit of light, holding tightly to the bars. So committed is his effort not to lose sight of that glimmer of life-giving light, that it never occurs to him to let go and explore the darkness of the rest of the cell. So it is that he never discovers that the door at the other end of the cell is open, that he is free. He has always been free to walk out into the brightness of the day, if only he would let go. (192) — Sheldon B. Kopp

We aspire to be equal opportunity, but all across the country where a student is born, their race, their class affect where they end up. — Wendy Kopp

All of the truly important battles are waged within the self. (7) — Sheldon B. Kopp

The teachers are trying to build the same culture in the classroom as we're building in the organization. — Wendy Kopp

This wish to satisfy someone greater than the Self, to be found acceptable, to belong at last, is a struggle familiar to many psychotherapy patients. In their lives they waste themselves on wondering how they are doing, on trying to figure out the expectations of others so that they can become someone in the eyes of others. They try to be practical, to be reasonable, to figure it all out in their heads. It is as though if only they could get the words straight in their heads, if only they could find the correct formula, then everything else in their lives would be magically straightened out. They are sure there is a right way to do things, though they have not yet found it. Someone in authority must know ... It is as thought if it were discovered that two and two really did not equal four (but five), then at that moment all over the world every machine would stop operating, all of the lights would go out. (110) — Sheldon B. Kopp

In the long run we get no more than we have been willing to risk giving. — Sheldon B. Kopp

We are all born into families and cultures we didn't choose, given names we didn't pick, instructed in behaviour and values we might not have freely chosen, and too often we end up expected to live lives designed by others. — Sheldon B. Kopp

Competition and competitive rhetoric can be healthy. It's what drove the United States to pursue the Soviet Union into space, creating countless innovations along the way. — Wendy Kopp

We are looking for a set of personal characteristics that predict success, the first and foremost of which is perseverance in the face of challenges. We also look for the ability to influence and motivate others who share your values, strong problem-solving ability, and leadership. — Wendy Kopp

I have long trusted dreams as prophetic visions. I do not mean that they foretell the future, only that they illuminate the present, when my eyes are closed, so that I may see clearly. — Sheldon B. Kopp

The therapist can interpret, advise, provide the emotional acceptance and support that nurtures personal growth, and above all, he can listen. I do not mean that he can simply hear the other, but that he will listen actively and purposefully, responding with the instrument of his trade, that is, with the personal vulnerability of his own trembling self. This listening is that which will facilitate the patient's telling of his tale, the telling that can set him free. (5) — Sheldon B. Kopp

When you think of the typical Teach For America corps member, soldiers and ex-bankers are probably not the people who come to mind. In fact, there is no such thing as a typical corps member. They can't be neatly pigeonholed or painted with a broad brush. — Wendy Kopp

Creating a high-functioning education system requires all the strategies involved in building high-functioning organisations anywhere. It requires a deliberate and aggressive strategy to ensure extraordinary talent at every level of the system, from the superintendentcy to district offices to principalships to classrooms. It requires building systems for accountability; offering parents the ability to choose their public schools is the ultimate form of this. It requires building a strong culture at the system and school levels based on high expectations for student achievement. — Wendy Kopp

The adult May fly lives only a few hours, just long enough to mate. He has neither mouth nor stomach, but needs neither since he does not live long enough to need to eat. The eggs the May fly leaves hatch after the parent has died. What is it all about. What's the point? There is no point. That's just the way it is. It is neither good nor bad. Life is mainly simply inevitable. (41) — Sheldon B. Kopp

Inexperience is an asset. Embrace it. — Wendy Kopp

One can choose life, or choose death. Having chosen life, I must live it as it is. — Sheldon B. Kopp

Teach For China recruits top American and Chinese college graduates, like 26-year-old Yang Xiao, to teach in the country's most disadvantaged schools. — Wendy Kopp

If we're going to see sustainable results from all the other investments we're making in education, we need to build leadership capacity in each and every country. — Wendy Kopp

Love is more than simply being open to experiencing the anguish of another person's suffering. It is the willingness to live with the helpless knowing that we can do nothing to save the other from his pain. (23) — Sheldon B. Kopp

Every time a child's promise is cut short by their legal status, our country wastes precious resources and loses talent we need. — Wendy Kopp

Teach For America is working hard to be one significant source of the leadership we need. — Wendy Kopp

The limitations of federal laws are able to create real progress at the local level. Ultimately, to effect not just incremental progress but progress that is transformational for students, we need committed leadership - people who believe deeply that their students can achieve at the highest levels and who know how to create the conditions at the classroom, school and system level to give them the opportunities they deserve. — Wendy Kopp

Sheldon Kopp, the author and psychologist, wrote, There are no great men. If you have a hero, look again: you have diminished yourself in some way. — Jim Bouton

Education must be the only sector that hasn't already been completely revolutionized by technology. — Wendy Kopp

You win some, you lose some, and your losses are never made up to you. She will simply have to do without; like it or not, she must face her losses and her helplessness to undo them. — Sheldon B. Kopp

Standardised tests cannot capture all, but on the other hand, students who are not capable of doing well on standardised tests are not well-equipped to thrive in today's world and so it's important for teachers to ensure that students gain the foundation necessary to meet the baseline educational standards these tests represent. — Wendy Kopp

More often than not, the most effective leaders have been shaped by teaching successfully in high needs classrooms. Because of their experience, they know that it is possible for low-income children to achieve on an absolute scale and understand what we need to do to allow them to fulfill their potential. — Wendy Kopp

Our laws guarantee all students the right to a K-12 education, regardless of their immigration status. — Wendy Kopp