'Sarah Raymond was that rare figure who quietly, though powerfully, altered the contours of public schooling at a particularly crucial moment. As the first woman in the country to serve as superintendent of a city school system, she signaled a fundamental shift in how communities understood leadership and leaders. Noraian captures this intriguing story, freshly pieced together from as-yet little tapped sources, revealing an individual we should know.' - Jackie M. Blount, Associate Dean, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, USA
'A gifted storyteller, Monica Cousins Noraian has written an engaging historical biography that illuminates the career of the country's first female superintendent of city schools. Because Sarah Raymond was a woman leader who dared to trouble the status quo, her story provides a model for today's social justice advocates, male or female, who would advance the broader cause of educational equity. The book is a major contribution to the research about women educational leaders, and makes a meaningful contribution to historical understanding of educational leadership in an earlier time.' - Linda L. Lyman, Professor, Illinois State University, USA