The Battle for Room 314: My Year of Hope and Despair in a New York City High School

In a fit of idealism, Ed Boland left a twenty-year career as a non-profit executive to teach in a tough New York City public high school. But his hopes quickly collided headlong with the appalling reality of his students’ lives and a hobbled education system unable to help them: Jay runs a drug ring for his incarcerated brother; Nee-cole is home-schooled on the subway by her brilliant homeless mother; and Byron’s Ivy League dream is dashed because he is undocumented. In the end, Boland isn’t hoisted on his students’ shoulders and no one passes AP anything. This is no urban fairy tale of at-risk kids saved by a Hollywood hero, but a searing indictment of reform-minded schools that claim to be progressive but still fail their students. Told with compassion, humour, and a keen eye, Boland’s story will resonate deeply with anyone who cares about the future of education.