"In this revealing and thoughtful memoir, the former chancellor of the New York City schools offers the behind-the-scenes story of the city's dramatic campaign to improve public education and an inspiring blueprint for national reform. In 2002, New York City's newly elected mayor, Michael Bloomberg, began his first term with a controversial announcement: his administration had won control of the city's school system in a first step toward reversing...

In fall 2006, former DJ, point guard and teacher, James O'Brien opened a small public high school in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where one third of residents live below the poverty line and the graduation rate is 40%. Over four years, this heartfelt veriteþ film follows the journey of students, parents and educators striving to make a difference in the futures of young people whose lives are stark representations of our country₂s education and...