About this item
THE BATTLE FOR ROOM 314In 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: Freddy runs a drug ring for his incarcerated brother; Nee-cole is homeschooled 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 schools that claim to be progressive but still fail their students. Told with compassion, humor, and a keen eye, Boland's story is sure to ignite debate about the future of American education and attempts to reform it.
About the Author
Ed has dedicated his entire professional life to nonprofit causes as a fundraiser, communications expert, and teacher. He has nearly 25 years of experience in an array of educational settings, starting by teaching swimming to five-year olds and art history to senior citizens. He served as an admissions officer at his alma mater, Fordham, and later at Yale. He taught English in China as a Princeton in Asia fellow immediately after the Tianamen Square massacre. He was a fundraiser for Barnard College, the all-women's school affiliated with Columbia. Ed is now a senior administrator at the nation's premier educational access program, which places gifted students of color at leading private schools. He also worked at GMHC and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
In recent years, Ed has spoken at the Yale School of Management Education Leadership Conference, Fundraising Day in New York, the Westside Y Writer's Voice, and the 92nd Street Y Tribeca. In February, he has been invited to speak at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Distinguished Author series.
A native of Rochester, NY, he lives in New York City with his husband the writer-director Sam Zalutsky. He is a decent cook and has a good volleyball serve.
