Videos
= Highly Recommended
Why Are Americans Losing Faith in the Value of College?
Paul Tough discusses his recent article in the New York Times Magazine with Hari Sreenivasan. Amanpour and Company, PBS, September 12, 2023
Survey finds drastic decline in Americans supporting college education
Paul Tough discusses his recent article in the New York Times Magazine with the hosts of CBS News Moneywatch, September 7, 2023.
Paul Tough in dialogue with Lewis H. Lapham
Paul Tough in conversation with Lewis H. Lapham, founder and editor of Lapham’s Quarterly. March 2, 2023. More information here.
A Conversation with Paul Tough
Paul Tough discusses how college helps — and hinders — social mobility. With Fr. Steve Katsouros, Come to Believe Network virtual retreat, November 8, 2022
Rising Inequalities: A Conversation on College Access, Diversity, and Social Mobility in the U.S.
The 2020-21 Wesson Lecture in Problems of Democracy, a dialogue with Anthony Abraham Jack and Jennifer Morton. Hosted by the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society at Stanford University, […]
Awake58 Virtual Town Hall with Paul Tough
Discussion of Postsecondary Education and Social Mobility hosted by EducationNC, November 10, 2020.
How the pandemic could cause significant “learning loss” for students
Interview with Jeffrey Brown, PBS Newshour, November 2, 2020.
Author Paul Tough answers your questions about ‘Helping Children Succeed’
Interview with Jeffrey Brown, PBS Newshour, October 27, 2020.
Aspen Institute Dialogue: The Inequality Machine
Paul Tough discusses his book “The Inequality Machine” with Dr. Ruth Simmons, president of Prairie View A&M University. October 2020.
Paul Tough’s “The Years that Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us” A Dynamic AD Conversation
Dialogue with Angel Pérez and Steve Katsouros, ASU GSV Summit, September 30, 2020
Addressing Systemic Inequities in an “After Disease” World
Dialogue with Mitchell Stevens, Lauren Rivera, and Caitlin Zaloom, ASU-GSV Summit, September 30, 2020
Paul Tough & Liz Willen on The Inequality Machine
Conversation with Liz Willen, part of SXSW EDU, June 12, 2020
A Conversation with Paul Tough
Paul Tough in conversation with Father Steve Katsouros, dean of Arrupe College, Chicago. November 18, 2019
A Conversation and Luncheon with Paul Tough
A conversation with Sarah Darville at an event hosted by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, November 8, 2019.
Social Mobility Through Education: A Conversation with Paul Tough
Conversation at Trinity College with Angel Perez, Matthew Rivera, and President Joanne Berger-Sweeney. November 6, 2019
Paul Tough talks ‘The Years That Matter Most’
Interview with Leslie Rangel, “Good Day Austin,” Fox 7, October 25, 2019
Is college education as valuable as it once was to students?
Interview with Kristen Sze and Reggie Aqui, “Midday Live,” KGO San Francisco, October 2, 2019
Author Paul Tough explores higher education, and whether it really is for everyone
Interview with Amanda Hill, News Center Maine (Portland), September 25, 2019
After Words with Paul Tough
Interview by Sara Goldrick-Rab, “After Words” on PBS, September 23, 2019
Author Paul Tough on ‘How College Makes or Breaks Us’
Interview on “Chicago Tonight,” WTTW TV, September 16, 2019
Is College Really Worth It? How Higher Education May Be Crucial to Success
Soledad O’Brien, “Matter of Fact,” September 14, 2019
Paul Tough and Michael Pollan in discussion at WBUR CitySpace
Paul Tough and Michael Pollan discuss “The Years That Matter Most” in a public conversation at WBUR CitySpace in Boston, September 13, 2019.
Admissions scandal highlights ‘disconnect’ between colleges’ message and action
Interview with Amna Nawaz, “PBS Newshour,” September 13, 2019
Paul Tough on Inequality in Higher Education
Interview with Michel Martin, “Amanpour & Co.,” PBS, September 12, 2019
Paul Tough on CUNY TV
Interview with Dr. Linda Hirsch about “The Years That Matter Most,” September 11, 2019
Paul Tough on the A List
Paul Tough discusses his books on “The A List with Alison Lebovitz,” on WTCI in Chattanooga, Tenn. November 2016.
Helping Children Succeed
Paul Tough discusses his third book, Helping Children Succeed, at the Montauk School in 2016.
What Effective Schools Do Differently
Paul Tough discusses some of the promising new school models that he wrote about in Helping Children Succeed.
Kids and Character
Paul Tough discussing his book Helping Children Succeed with Sarah Yager at the Atlantic Education Summit in Washington, D.C., May 2016.
You Can’t Teach Grit. But You Can Make Kids Act Gritty
Paul Tough, author of Helping Children Succeed, describes the four essential messages students need to receive in the classroom in order to succeed. Toronto, 2016.
Why Are Our Early Years So Crucial for Success?
Paul Tough discussing Helping Children Succeed at the Toronto offices of the Lavin Agency, 2016.
Can Character Be Taught?
Paul Tough on “Eminent Voices 2014,” a series of video interviews produced at the 2014 World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha, Qatar. November 2014.
Paul Tough – Special Address at WISE 2014
Paul Tough speaks at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar, November 2014
Euronews interview at the WISE Summit in Doha, Qatar
Paul Tough interviewed by Maha Barada of Euronews after his keynote address at the 2014 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), November 2014.
Who Finishes College?
Paul Tough moderates a panel at the New York Times Schools for Tomorrow conference, with panelists Jeff Nelson, David Laude, and Catherine Ntube. September 2014.
On Golf and Grit
Paul Tough discusses golf and grit with the editors of Golf Digest, on the occasion of the magazine’s October 2014 cover story on the topic by Bob Carney.
7 Traits to Help Your Child Succeed
Paul Tough discusses How Children Succeed on WGN Morning News in Chicago, July 2014.
How Low-Income Students Struggle at College
Paul Tough discusses his New York Times Magazine cover story on college completion on “Morning Joe,” MSNBC, May 2014.
Paul Tough on Dealing with Failure
Paul Tough discussing the work of Elizabeth Spiegel, the chess teacher at I.S. 318, on “The State of Education in Nebraska” on Nebraska Public Television, April 2014.
Paul Tough on Education for the 21st Century
Paul Tough interviewed at the International Public Policy Forum, sponsored by Instituto Ayrton Senna, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 2014.
Paul Tough at the 2014 Champion of Children event
Paul Tough interviewed by Fred Andrle at the 2014 Champion of Children event in Columbus, Ohio, sponsored by the United Way of Central Ohio. February 2014.
Paul Tough in Conversation with Geoffrey Canada
Paul Tough discusses character strengths in education with Geoffrey Canada, founder and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, June 2013.
Paul Tough at Heart-Mind 2013
Paul Tough discusses How Children Succeed with an interviewer from the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education.
Paul Tough on the Importance of Failure in Schools
Speaking at the Jewish Community Center in New York City with Dave Levin, Dominic Randolph, and John Merrow, December 2012.
Managing Failure in Education
In a speech, Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, details how a good educator can guide students by having them look at their own failures. November 2012.
Parents Are the Antidote to Toxic Stress
In a speech, Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, outlines the science behind “licking and grooming” and how this helps defuse “toxic stress.” November 2012.
Getting Students Back on Track Requires Help From the Outside
In a speech, Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, explains how a student’s character and outside help work together to improve that student’s life. November 2012.
Paul Tough on the importance of adversity in childhood
In a speech, Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, explains how students can sometimes benefit from adversity. November 2012.
Paul Tough at Texas Book Festival
Discussing How Children Succeed and Whatever It Takes on a panel with Rep. Mark Strama, Meira Levinson, and Michael Brick, October 2012.
Paul Tough with Wendy Kopp (highlights)
A conversation at Teach for America headquarters in New York, October 2012.
Paul Tough on Grit
Paul Tough speaks at the Young Education Professionals-Colorado launch event, October 2012.
Paul Tough on How Children Succeed
Paul Tough speaks at the Young Education Professionals-Colorado launch event, October 2012.
The Science of Success
Paul Tough delivers the Fifth Annual Lecture on Science, Technology & Society, presented by the Center for Human Potential and Public Policy (CHPPP), in collaboration with the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Global Working Group at the University of Chicago. Following the lecture, a panel of experts responds. October 2012.
How ALL Children Succeed
Paul Tough in a panel discussion at JPMorgan Chase with Pamela Cantor, Scott Palmer, and Dave Levin, moderated by Michele Norris. October 2012.
A Student’s Character Matters More Than Intelligence
Paul Tough appears on “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on MSNBC, September 2012.
True Grit: Can You Teach Children Character?
Paul Tough in conversation with Brian Williams, David Brooks, Angela Duckworth, and Carol Dweck, NBC News Education Nation, September 2012
Paul Tough Q&A with Robin Lake
A discussion at the Washington Education Innovation Forum, presented by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington in Seattle, September 2012
Paul Tough at the Los Angeles Public Library
Paul Tough discusses How Children Succeed with Patt Morrison. September 2012.
Paul Tough on “The Cycle” on MSNBC
Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed, talks about shifting the focus from IQ and test scores to traits of perseverance, curiosity, and grit for long term success in kids. September 2012.
Paul Tough talks about education and parenting with ParentMap in Seattle
Author Paul Tough sat down with ParentMap to talk about his book How Children Succeed and examine this central question: Why do some children succeed while others fail? September 2012.
Paul Tough on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC
Paul Tough discusses education politics and teacher evaluations along with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and author Wes Moore, September 2012.
Paul Tough on the Importance of Resilience
Author Paul Tough talks with Hathaway Brown Head of School Bill Crist about why schools and teachers should focus on resilience and other non-cognitive character traits, August 2012.
Paul Tough Talks with Andrea Mitchell at the Aspen Ideas Festival
Paul Tough in conversation at the Aspen Ideas Festival with Andrea Mitchell, Dominic Randolph, and Russell Shaw, July 2012.
Paul Tough talks about college completion at the Aspen Ideas Festival
Paul Tough discusses college success at the Aspen Ideas Festival with Andrea Mitchell, July 2012.
Paul Tough on what led him to write “How Children Succeed”
From a speech at the Building Hope/Closing the Gap conference in Salem, Oregon, October 2011.
Paul Tough Speaks to Covering Education Seminar
Paul Tough discussing the Harlem Children’s Zone and his book Whatever It Takes with the students of the Covering Education seminar at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. February 2009.
Paul Tough on Post-Katrina Education in New Orleans
The Agenda with Steve Paikin, TV Ontario, September 2008.
ConnCan First Person Interview: Paul Tough
ConnCAN’s one on one interview with Paul Tough, author of “Still Left Behind: What It Will Really Take to Close the Education Gap,” April 2008.
Paul Tough: Whatever It Takes
Paul Tough’s lecture from the 2008 Equity Symposium at the Teachers College of Columbia University.
Paul Tough talks OxyContin on MSNBC
Paul Tough discussing his New York Times Magazine cover story on OxyContin on MSNBC, July 26, 2001.
Paul Tough talks OxyContin on Today
Paul Tough on the Today Show with Matt Lauer, discussing Tough’s cover story in the New York Times Magazine on OxyContin abuse, July 26, 2001.
Paul Tough on Saturday Night
Paul Tough discussing Saturday Night magazine with Allan Gregg on “Studio 2” on TVO, March 1999.
Paul Tough on Montreal Today
Paul Tough discussing Saturday Night magazine on “Montreal Today,” March 1999.
Paul Tough on corporate responsibility [part two]
Paul Tough with Al Dunlap on CNNfn, May 9, 1996. Discussing the Harper’s Magazine Forum on corporate responsibility. Part two of two.
Paul Tough on corporate responsibility [part one]
Paul Tough with Al Dunlap on CNNfn, May 9, 1996. Discussing the Harper’s Magazine Forum on corporate responsibility. Part one of two.
Hackers On Planet Earth: The Author Panel
Paul Tough takes part in a panel discussion focusing on writing about hackers, along with Winn Schwartau, Julian Dibbel, and people involved in the filming of a major motion picture all about hackers (Rafael Moreu, Michael Peyser, Iain Softley). August 1994.