In the seventh grade, Todd Rose was suspended--not for the first time--for throwing stink bombs at the blackboard. At eighteen, he was a high school dropout, stocking shelves at a department store. Today, Rose is a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His book illuminates the struggles of millions of bright young children--and their frustrated parents and teachers--who are stuck in a one-size-fits-all school system that fails to approach the student as an individual. Rose shares his own journey from troubled childhood to Harvard, integrating cutting-edge research in neuroscience and psychology along with advances in the field of education, to ultimately provide a roadmap for parents and teachers of kids who are the casualties of America's school system.--From publisher description.

Prologue: surrendering the rain sticks -- My bright future -- Smart criminal -- Why context matters -- Ostracized -- Fitting in--and dropping out -- Social justice -- Turnaround -- Failing well -- Epilogue; creating new contexts for learning.