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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A poignant portrait painted with skill . . . Read it and weep--and wonder no more about the human dimensions of the achievement gap." -- Gene I. Maeroff, Teachers College, Columbia University, author of Buillding Blocks: Making Children Successful in the Early Years of School
"By turns humorous and haunting, Dan Brown . . . takes the reader on both a compelling and illuminating journey through the American public education system. Unlike many other books on the topic, however, Brown's is not a dry litany of all that is wrong with that system, but rather highlights the personal success-stories" -- Scott Anderson, author ofMoonlight Hotel and Triage
"Dan Brown's heartfelt account of the thrills and frustrations of a first-year teacher grips like a novel. A must-read for anyone who has dreamed of a job that makes a difference." --Anya Kamenetz, author of Generation Debt
"[A] powerful, heart-breaking story that challenges our image of inner city schools and the children who populate them. Important and moving, The Great Expectations School grabs your attention from the first page and refuses to let go." -- Gilbert M. Gaul, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
"[A] riveting human drama full of heroes and villains, humor and tragedy. Brown is an exciting new talent and his writing is so clear and suspenseful that the pages turn themselves. I couldn't put this book down." -- Clara Bingham, co-author of Class Action, basis for the Academy Award-nominated film North Country, and author of Women on the Hill: Challenging the Culture of Congress
Full of funny, painful, and illuminating stories covering the children at risk . . . It is a must read for anyone interested in reforming our schools -- Maggie Dixon, Collegiate School librarian
"By turns humorous and haunting, Dan Brown . . . takes the reader on both a compelling and illuminating journey through the American public education system. Unlike many other books on the topic, however, Brown's is not a dry litany of all that is wrong with that system, but rather highlights the personal success-stories" -- Scott Anderson, author ofMoonlight Hotel and Triage
"Dan Brown's heartfelt account of the thrills and frustrations of a first-year teacher grips like a novel. A must-read for anyone who has dreamed of a job that makes a difference." --Anya Kamenetz, author of Generation Debt
"[A] powerful, heart-breaking story that challenges our image of inner city schools and the children who populate them. Important and moving, The Great Expectations School grabs your attention from the first page and refuses to let go." -- Gilbert M. Gaul, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
"[A] riveting human drama full of heroes and villains, humor and tragedy. Brown is an exciting new talent and his writing is so clear and suspenseful that the pages turn themselves. I couldn't put this book down." -- Clara Bingham, co-author of Class Action, basis for the Academy Award-nominated film North Country, and author of Women on the Hill: Challenging the Culture of Congress
Full of funny, painful, and illuminating stories covering the children at risk . . . It is a must read for anyone interested in reforming our schools -- Maggie Dixon, Collegiate School librarian
Product Description
At 22, Dan Brown came to the Bronx's P.S. 85 as an eager, fresh-faced teacher. Unbeknownst to him, his assigned class, 4-217, was the designated "dumping ground" for all fourth-grade problem cases, and his students would prove to be more challenging than he could ever anticipate. Intent on being a caring, dedicated teacher but confronted with unruly children, absent parents, and a failing administration, Dan was pushed to the limit time and again: he found himself screaming with rage, punching his fist through a blackboard out of sheer frustration, often just wanting to give up and walk away.
Yet in this seeming chaos, he slowly learned from his own mistakes and discovered an unexpected well of inspiration to discipline and teach and make a difference.
The Great Expectations School is the touching journey of Class 4-217 and their teacher, Mr. Brown, but more than that, it is the revealing story of a broken educational system and all those struggling within and fighting against it.
Yet in this seeming chaos, he slowly learned from his own mistakes and discovered an unexpected well of inspiration to discipline and teach and make a difference.
The Great Expectations School is the touching journey of Class 4-217 and their teacher, Mr. Brown, but more than that, it is the revealing story of a broken educational system and all those struggling within and fighting against it.
About the Author
Dan Brown was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is a student at Teachers College, Columbia University. He lives in New York City. This is his first book.