Julie Landsman is a teacher & writer in Minneapolis. She has traveled around the country talking to groups of teachers & administrators interested in working in positive ways with students who fail in traditional classrooms. Landsman is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including a Minnesota State Arts Board grant. She is co-editor with David Haynes of "Welcome to Your Life: An Anthology of Contemporary Writing for Young Adults", which was named as a "New York Public Library's Best Books for Young People 2000," & the author of "Basic Needs: A Year with Street Kids in a City School".