Marva Collins' Way Is Still A Good Way

How a failing education system created a heroine for children

Although the book is from a different era, the story recounted in Marva Collins’ Way is still pertinent today and worthy of reading or rereading for anyone interested in restoring excellence in education for all students. The frustrations over the failures of the government-run school system and the no-nonsense solutions that proved effective remain as relevant in 2025 as when the book was published in 1982.

Just as the K-12 education world was turning upside down and losing its direction in the 1960s, an unsuspecting heroine of student learning was being formed. Like any true hero or heroine, Marva Collins didn’t seek fortune and fame. When she entered the teaching profession, she simply wanted to provide her students with an excellent education and instill in them the belief that they could achieve anything they set their minds to. She couldn’t have anticipated the backlash she would face, often from other educators, nor could she have imagined the obstacles she would need to overcome just to be able to teach students well.

Her story takes place in Chicago decades ago, yet the challenges she and others faced then are still the same as those confronting schools and teachers today. Poverty, gangs, broken homes, apathetic parents, and ineffective teacher training programs were barriers to education during Marva Collins’s time and continue to be challenges today. Unlike many schools and educators today, Collins distinguished herself in her era by refusing to allow these obstacles to become excuses for her students’ lack of success. For her, they were simply inconvenient hurdles to overcome.

It wasn’t a teaching degree that equipped Marva Collins with her heroic abilities. Fortunately for her students, she wasn’t a product of the already infiltrated education schools that were moving toward trendy “progressive” education methods. Her degree was in business, but her upbringing and learning and her innate sense of what a good education looked like (and didn’t look like) provided her with the tools needed to direct the education of thousands of students.

Because Collins bypassed teacher training, she was shocked to see and hear teachers try to teach students how to read without first teaching them the sounds letters make. She also found herself in the minority, believing that even young children deserved beautiful stories full of rich vocabulary. The Reading Wars have been raging for a long time and continue today. Collins didn’t engage in the fight but instead closed her classroom door and did what she knew was best for her students.

Sadly, instead of recognizing her students' success and striving to learn from and emulate her methods, the other teachers grew resentful and ostracized her. Their mistreatment catalyzed the establishment of her one-room schoolhouse, which grew rapidly and ultimately changed the lives of thousands of children. Collins’ school wasn’t successful because she used the latest technology, an “engaging” curriculum, or “innovative” methods. Its success stemmed from her emphasis on students being active participants in their education and the belief that nothing could hinder their learning.

Collins also knew the learning process was slow, repetitive, and sometimes tedious. She understood that there were no shortcuts to the finish line. In fact, she didn’t believe there was a finish line to the learning process. Just as she continually challenged her students with works from Shakespeare, Emerson, Dickens, and Tolstoy, she never ceased reading and learning herself, which equipped her with the knowledge to enrich their classroom discussions even further.

Marva Collins was a bright light in the often dim world of K-12 education. The brighter her light shone, the more “the system” tried to snuff it out. She faced personal and professional attacks from the Chicago Teachers Union, city officials, parents, and others who were simply envious of her success and commitment to her students. Still, she persisted.

Some educators and education advocates can likely relate to her story on some level today. Those who prioritize the needs of students first are often demonized by those who believe schools exist to serve adults rather than children. Hopefully, some of those champions of excellent education for all students will be newly inspired by Marva Collins’ story and encouraged to press on toward the goal for the sake of the children.