Former Baltimore cop and teacher Ed Burns isn't a masochist. The writer-producer for "The Wire," a critically applauded HBO series about life and death on the streets of Baltimore, is just feverishly trying to save public schools. He thinks American education is hopelessly screwed up, but that it's also the country's only hope. So it makes sense that while he's putting chronically failing schools under "The Wire's" dramatic spotlight, Burns has also been working on an offscreen project to help reach the city's most endangered students. With plans to eventually expand the pilot program to other troubled districts, Burns' aim is both simple and extravagantly ambitious: to resurrect public education. Burn's views are further discussed in this article.