Andover author releases her first book

Leslie K. Brooks, a local author from Andover, and retired teacher with her master’s degree in Education, has released her first book.

Education Aggravation: A Retired Teacher’s View from the Trenches - A Call to Action is a candid look at our education system and the people involved in it.

“Writing a book has been a long-time coming,” says Brooks.” And a lot of work past the writing part, I never knew. It was a huge learning curve for me. Thank goodness friends have been very supportive and the reviews have been wonderful. I am truly blessed,” says Brooks.

Education Aggravation explores the questions, “What is happening to our students? What are we teaching them and not teaching them? Do schools prepare students for life? How does politics play in education? Where does all this money thrown at education go? You can find out these answers, as well as answers to other questions in the book.

A retired teacher’s take on our failing education system from the inside, honest and controversial, and often humorous, Education Aggravation examines the roles of the various actors and elements: students, teachers, parents, administration, politicians, money, media and technology.

“Throwing money at a never-ending fix is not the answer,” Brooks says. “We need to look deeper, focusing on specifics and basics, on the cultural dynamics molding our students, needs of different groups of students, the types of students we are trying to teach, common ground, and using the tools at our disposal to help students navigate their individual success in an unknown future.”

Brooks has been a Special Education teacher in all subjects in grades 3-11 in Sussex County, as well as teaching in Los Angeles and New York. Her passion for teaching, her students, and transforming and transcending the self, led her to write this book, Education Aggravation.

Brooks always has held a passion for writing and acting. She began her journey at the ripe old age of 9 when she was cast as the narrator in “Paul Revere’s Ride” and got to read Longfellow’s poem. It was love at first ‘cite.’

After a career of acting, Leslie ventured back to school where she got her teaching degrees but always loved writing poetry on the side. In school, she taught her students to write and recite spoken-word poetry, a highlight of her public speaking classes.

Brooks is currently working on a children’s book that she hopes to publish later this year.

Education Aggravation: A Retired Teachers View from the Trenches – A Call to Action can be purchased through Amazon, and is locally available at Sparta Books in Sparta and Black Dog Books in Lafayette. Wider distribution will be happening shortly.

Brooks has a blog on www.lesliekbrooksproductions.com and can be reached for podcasts and speaking engagements at Leslie K. Brooks productions or Les Brooks on Facebook.