Wall Of Fame: One Teacher, One Class, and the Power to Save Schools and Transform Lives

As public education declined many Americans despaired of their children's future, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Freedman volunteered as a writing mentor in some of California's toughest inner-city schools. He discovered a program called AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) that gave him hope. In this work of creative non-fiction, Mr. Freedman interweaves the lives of AVID's founder, Mary Catherine Swanson, and six of her original AVID students over a 20-year period, from 1980-2000. With powerful personalities, explosive conflicts, and compelling action, Wall of Fame portrays the dramatic story of how one teacher in one classroom created a pragmatic program that has propelled thousands of students to college. This story of determination, courage, and hope inspires a new generation of teachers, students, and parents to fight for change from the bottom up.

It will be possible to learm more about AVID and the Wall of Fame from the September 25th issue of Time magazine and upcoming segments of Oxygen and perhaps 60 Minutes II.