Teacher by Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives

Teacher By Teacher reflects the transformative power of public education. Both of Secretary King’s parents were career public school educators – his dad was a teacher and administrator and his mother was a teacher and school counselor. King’s mother passed away suddenly from a heart attack in October of his fourth grade year, and his dad – suffering from undiagnosed Alzheimer’s – passed by the time he was 12. Home was unstable and uncertain, but public school teachers never gave up on him, believed in him and saw his potential. They made school a safe, supportive and engaging place where King could just be a kid when he faced challenges at home. He moved around between different family members and schools. As a teenager, King was angry at his life’s circumstances and he got in trouble so often that he eventually got kicked out of high school. But while many could have seen a young Black and Puerto Rican kid whose life was in crisis and written him off, public school teachers, mentors, and a school counselor gave him a second chance.

Crises can be catalysts for change. This book is about overcoming challenges and the mentors who help us make it through them. Teacher By Teacher is a deeply personal love letter to all the teachers in our lives. But more than that, this book is about teaching not just teachers – and the transformative and impactful lessons of mentorship, especially for those who are underserved by public institutions and social systems in America.