"Michael Johnson, a highly respected educator and administrator with many decades of service, has laid out a very thoughtful, well-researched and urgent call for action to the education community. His premise is educational practices are outdated and sorely lacking in today's high-paced, ever-changing world. Many students are being left behind by old-fashioned teaching methods such as the "stand and deliver" approach, students sitting in rows, limited class interaction and testing and grades. Furthermore, these practices do a disservice to students because critical skills such as innovation, creativity, teamwork, perseverance, communication, and reflection are not being developed. He asserts that in order to be relevant in today's global world, America's educational system must make a dramatic shift in its approach. This will not be easy to do, as education is mired in political red tape and mandates and additionally, teachers, while wanting what is best for their students, often find change a difficult thing to accomplish. This book does hold out hope for our students, but it will take a huge effort from everyone involved. I highly recommend this book and hope it provides food for thought on how to make schools in the United States effective and successful in educating our kids."

A. Lewis, retired K-12 educator