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The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America

Review

The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America

As the father of a high school teacher, grandfather of two grade-school students, and husband of an active supporter of our community’s schools, public education has always been an interesting and significant subject. After retiring, I spent several years teaching college classes, and the experience heightened my interest in the skills of teaching. Education remains a hot-button topic in America that is often debated and discussed by politicians, news media and the general community. Teachers can change lives, and almost everyone I know has a story about a teacher who has impacted their life in a meaningful way.

THE CLASS by Heather Won Tesoriero is an inspiring account of prize-winning students mentored by an outstanding high school science teacher. It is the result of a serendipitous filming assignment that Tesoriero undertook while working as a CBS News producer. She had been sent to Greenwich High School in Connecticut to film a story about a student who had created a fast and inexpensive Ebola test. The presentation was a winning entry in the prestigious Google Science Fair, a global online science competition. Working on the story, it was clear that the high school was made up of an incredible collection of young science scholars whose work was far beyond what would be expected of high school students.

"...an inspiring account of prize-winning students mentored by an outstanding high school science teacher.... More than anything, THE CLASS is a people book."

More than anything, THE CLASS is a people book. Andy Bramante is the leading character, a former scientist in private industry who left a successful career to become a high school science teacher. In 2005, he joined the faculty at Greenwich, a school of 2,500 students with high national and state rankings in academics. After teaching chemistry for a year, he began directing the science research class, which had no curriculum, tests, textbooks or lectures. It is the kind of program that few schools can afford to offer, but Bramante has been a remarkable leader. In the year chronicled by Tesoriero, students were recognized in more than a dozen prestigious national science competitions. In the Regeneron Science Talent Search, considered the Nobel Prize for high school seniors, Bramante’s students have been consistently in the top ten, including four finalists and 24 semifinalists.

Consider for a moment how Bramante must navigate the projects of his students while also steering them through the normal difficulties of high school life. They work on diverse projects ranging from detecting pancreatic cancer from a blood sample to finding a cure for Lyme disease (by a student with Lyme disease). At the same time, they worry about prom dates, college essays and acceptance, and the general calamities that most teenagers confront in their lives. Bramante is their advisor, leader and sometimes confessor. Even in an affluent school like Greenwich, he often must find financial assistance for some of the projects. His passion and devotion to science are evident on these pages.

The students profiled by Tesoriero are equally fascinating. The science fair circuit is as cutthroat as an athletic competition. They are often driven in their project selection by life experience. The Lyme disease example is but one; others are seeking cures and diagnostic techniques for diseases afflicting family members. The stories are both heartbreaking and inspiring. In the end, one cannot help but root for all of these talented teenagers.

As inspirational as THE CLASS may be, there is a disquieting element to it. Greenwich is a wealthy community with well-funded schools and involved parents. Reading the book, I often paused to contemplate other students in less fortunate communities with far fewer resources. Tesoriero's account should serve as a reminder of what our schools can be, everywhere in America.

Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman on September 14, 2018

The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America
by Heather Won Tesoriero

  • Publication Date: September 4, 2018
  • Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Science
  • Hardcover: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books
  • ISBN-10: 0399181849
  • ISBN-13: 9780399181849