From BooklistHeated debates about the current dismal state of public education are embodied in this novel by a former teacher. St. John takes critical aim at all the teaching theories and experiments that school districts churn out on a regular basis, which totally ignore the abysmal track record of earlier programs and the basic needs of its students. A dedicated teacher, Dai O'Connel, finds himself on the verge of losing his job because he won't follow the inane rules set by the Oregon school district. His executioner is an ambitious young woman, Solange Gonsalvas, with a mission to fire O'Connel and secure for herself the position of school superintendent. But a week spent watching O'Connel teach results in conflicts between Solange's personal ambitions and her sense of integrity. She battles the irony of ridding the school system of a teacher actually doing his job and unwanted feelings as her grudging admiration for the teacher turns to love. This novel is an inside view of the anger and frustrations felt by teachers in failing school systems. Vanessa Bush --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Product Details Hardcover Publisher: Replica Books (January 2001) Language: English ISBN-10: 0735102902 ISBN-13: 978-0735102903