Jefferson County Open School in Lakewood, Colorado, a public alternative school in which standardization rampant in schools today is replaced with a personalized, well-rounded education that nurtures enthusiasm and plants seeds of hope. Veteran teacher and former Open School principal Rick Posner tells the story of this school and its alumni in his book, Lives of Passion, School of Hope (Sentient Publications). "Lives of Passion, School of Hope is a refreshing antidote to the arid and pinched view of education and school reform suffocating and strangling any clear thinking in the public square today. In this essential and urgent book, Posner illuminates the vital work of a single school, and maps a way out of the mess we're in." - William Ayres. Many Open School alums have relocated to the Seattle area, and are expected to attend.