It’s Official! My New Book: School the System Is Here!

I’m excited to share that my first book, School the System: How Public Education Can Learn from the Students It Serves, is now available in paperback and ebook! After years of research, writing, and conversations in schools, there’s something very special about holding these ideas in a book and finally being able to share it with you.

Much of the thinking behind it grew through conversations in classrooms, hallways, staff rooms, and the principal’s office. I’m grateful to the students, teachers, families, and colleagues who challenged my assumptions and helped me ask better questions. Those conversations have shaped both this book and the way I understand my work as an educator.

I believe in public education and the people who show up every day to make it work. I also believe we have a responsibility to examine the structures we’ve inherited and be willing to change them when they aren’t serving students well. School the System gave me space to explore that thinking more fully, from the systems that shape school life to the everyday work of building community with students.

If you’ve followed my writing here, you’ll recognize ideas about student rights, voice, dignity, and shared responsibility. I’m excited for you to see how they connect across the book, and just as interested in what you’ll bring to the pages: the rule you’ve reconsidered, the conversation that stayed with you, or the school routine you’re still trying to make work for students.

Where to Find the Book

You can find the paperback and ebook purchase options on the School the System book page. If you prefer to read digitally, you can also visit the ebook retailer page.

GET YOUR COPY

The People Behind the Book

Thank you to Laura Meyer for the care you brought to editing.

I want to thank Pamela Scharbach, who painted the original artwork that became the cover of School the System. There’s a person and a painting behind that cover, and I’m grateful to Pam for her creativity and contribution to this book.

Thank you also to Rachel Long of Saros Creative, who took my author photographs and the photographs used throughout this website. Her work has helped me share the person behind the writing, and I’m grateful for the care she brought to it.

And to my wife, Abby: thank you for your love, your support, and the work you’ve put into helping this book reach readers. I’m grateful to be sharing this moment with you.

To everyone who chooses to read School the System, thank you. I’d love to hear what feels familiar, what you’d question, and what you’d want to discuss with a colleague. I’m looking forward to those conversations and so pleased to be able to share this book with you.