This book, written as an extended letter to teachers, addresses the concerns teachers have for their work with students and reflects on the art of teaching. The letter is developed around 12 chapters: (1) "Toward Large Purposes" places teachers' work in a philosophical as well as a pedagogical and curricular perspective; (2) "Deciding What To Teach" reaffirms that teachers need to be central decision makers about curriculum; (3) "Engaging the Students" includes pedagogical approaches and generative content; (4) "The Community and the School" advocates a more powerful connection between schools and resources that exist beyond schools; (5) "Valuing Differences" asks that teachers expand their thinking about changing demographic patterns in American schools; (6) "Evaluating and Grading Student Performance" offers ways of rethinking the assessment process; (7) "Matters of Accountability" discusses demands for classroom and schoolwide evaluation; (8) "Empowering Teachers" provides a base for a larger understanding of professionalism; (9)"Refining the Craft of Teaching" focuses on creating an ethos of teacher reflection; (10) "The Next Generation of Teachers" considers the role of teachers in recruiting and preparing the next generation of educators; (11) "The Importance of Historical Perspective" asks that teachers' work be placed within a larger time frame; and (12) "Strengthening Our Commitment to Schools" connects the full text to the challenges that confront teachers and schools as they face the 21st century. (LL)