As public schools become increasingly embattled by budget shortfalls, crowded buildings, and ever-more-rigid curricula, the burden of these restrictions has drastically changed the way children are expected to learn. Nowhere is this more obvious or more devastating than classrooms in high-need urban areas. Drawing upon teachers' firsthand experiences in some of today's most demanding schools, leading education experts Beverly Falk and Megan Blumenreich provide an enlightening account of what our students really need-and how teachers are stepping up to provide what state standards and political posturing cannot. Teaching Matters takes us into a variety of classrooms to witness the art of teaching at its most creative and effective, with a focus on