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Introduction	Lorraine Skeen was principal of Patrick Henry School (P.S. 171 Manhattan) from 1977 to 1998. She began teaching in 1964 at P.S. 83 Manhattan. A graduate of Hunter College High School, she earned a BA in Education and a MA in Sociology. Lorraine’s approach to school leadership was interdisciplinary, systematic, and guided by the tools and methods of the social sciences. During her tenure at P.S. 171, the school was recognized as a unique model of student achievement where poverty was never an excuse for deprivation and failure. The school model that she built more closely resembles schools in high-achieving countries such as Singapore and Finland than the typical American school. Her different approach and dissenting voice attracted both admiration and disapproval from the educational community.

Introduction

Lorraine Skeen was principal of Patrick Henry School (P.S. 171 Manhattan) from 1977 to 1998. She began teaching in 1964 at P.S. 83 Manhattan. A graduate of Hunter College High School, she earned a BA in Education and a MA in Sociology. Lorraine’s approach to school leadership was interdisciplinary, systematic, and guided by the tools and methods of the social sciences. During her tenure at P.S. 171, the school was recognized as a unique model of student achievement where poverty was never an excuse for deprivation and failure. The school model that she built more closely resembles schools in high-achieving countries such as Singapore and Finland than the typical American school. Her different approach and dissenting voice attracted both admiration and disapproval from the educational community.