While I tend to describe The Alloway Files as satire, the truth is that I drew a lot of the story from my experiences teaching in Baltimore. I never described the “City” in the book as Baltimore, though, as I had a feeling it might hit home for teachers around the country. Below are some excerpts from reviews from teachers around the country.
“Somehow, she has managed to translate the sometimes-tortuous, occasionally-rewarding, always-insane experience of teaching in Baltimore City Public Schools into a humorous fictional account….This book is fiction, but it’s also Truth with a capital T. Outstanding.”
-Ceilon Aspensen (Maryland, Montana)
“An unbelievable yet accurate story about how our country’s current obsession with testing students is leading to the demise of American public education.”
-Ann Stewart (Missouri)
“As someone who has been teaching for seven years, I can say that this is easily the best story I’ve read about inner-city schools since “Up the Down Staircase.” Hilarious, great writing, and a story that – unfortunately – is all too true in schools across America.”
-K. Dicolandrea (New York)
Thanks to those teachers and everyone else who took time to read and send feedback about the book!
