At 22, Dan Brown came to the Bronx's P.S. 85 as an eager,
fresh-faced teacher. Unbeknownst to him, his assigned class,
4-217, was the designated "dumping ground" for all
fourth-grade problem cases, and his students would prove to
be more challenging than he could ever anticipate. Intent on
being a caring, dedicated teacher but confronted with unruly
children, absent parents, and a failing administration, Dan
was pushed to the limit time and again: he found himself
screaming with rage, punching his fist through a blackboard
out of sheer frustration, often just wanting to give up and
walk away.
Yet in this seeming chaos, he slowly learned from his own
mistakes and discovered an unexpected well of inspiration to
discipline and teach and make a difference.
The Great Expectations School is the touching journey of
Class 4-217 and their teacher, Mr. Brown, but more than
that, it is the revealing story of a broken educational
system and all those struggling within and fighting against it.