“Jane was my wicked stepmother: she was generous, affectionate and resourceful; she salvaged my schooling and I owe her an unknowable debt for that. One flaw: sometimes, early on, she would tell me things designed to make me think less of my mother, and I would wave her away, saying, 'Jane, this just”

“And what we were trying to offer every day was one-on-one attention. The goal was to have a one-to-one ratio with every one of these students.”