After five years as an educator in Los Angeles County, A.J. Kaufman left teaching and moved out of California, eventually settling in the Midwest. Following a year of traveling, working and doing research, this book and two others emerged. Toward the end of his time as an educator, the young teacher began co-writing educational reform commentaries, often with his former colleague, Aaron Hanscom. Being continually blackballed and shunned at meetings, having to endure looks of incredulity and a lack of respect from co-workers; this suddenly became Mr. Kaufman's life as a teacher. This situation led to his premature resignation from the profession that was his first love, but also gave him the opportunity to expose-as well as assist-American education's gradual rise from the doldrums it now encompasses. Kaufman has done radio interviews on these topics, and his essays on education have been featured in half a dozen newspapers and numerous websites. As the book often indicates, if his ideas are accepted and enacted in any form in the future, Mr. Kaufman's time as a teacher will have been well spent. "People like Ari help bring necessary change to our schools. He is a Martin Luther of education."
- Former California Assembly candidate and LAPD officer Clark Baker
