After over a year of being privy to what goes on in your child's classroom, do you wonder if the schools of today have become more of a glorified daycare center to feed and watch children versus an institution made to educate them? Told from the perspective of a twenty-year veteran in the field, this is a must-read for anyone interested in knowing more about education, particularly those thinking about going into teaching or contemplating leaving the field. The author takes you through the history of different educational movements to give a glimpse of why the educational system has caused concern for many. The first of a School Improvement Series meant to discuss issues affecting those in the trenches. Through real-life examples, you will find yourself relating to how the author empathizes with educators and parents while offering valid tangible advice on how to use data to drive instruction. The various perspectives this book takes educates even the most novice reader about how schools work from the inside out. Although evident truths are stated, this book also offers ways to remediate the system through data and working smarter and not harder. Through experience working in public schools and being a lead founder of both charter and private schools while also spending years researching how students learn best, the author leaves you feeling hopeful about the future while administrators in schools can use this book as a playbook to initiate reform and prompt their schools to succeed.