Defying the Current Crisis in Teacher Retention, Alston Has Stayed in the Classroom for More Than 20 Years — and Loved Every Minute of It

New York, NY (March 20, 2008) -- In an effort to inspire teachers and to remind them why teaching can be so rewarding, Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has released Why We Teach (March 2008), a new teacher memoir by award-winning educator Linda Alston. Why We Teach tells the story of a teacher who has continued to love her job for more than 20 years at a time when teacher retention has become a national crisis. Studies show that between 30 and 50 percent of all new teachers quit the profession within five years.

Alston, currently a kindergarten teacher at Farrell B. Howell Elementary School in Denver, Co., has been recognized for excellence in teaching with the first $100,000 KIPP/Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award, the Milken National Educator Award, the Walt Disney American Teacher Award and the Mary McLeod Bethune Legacy Award. She has taught students ages 3-15 in public, private, charter and Sunday schools.