The first thing I should say is that the wrong Epstein is speaking to you today. The proper Epstein is my wife who works at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and who has been involved in most phases of school administration. It is through her, of course, that I have developed a strong interest in school education.

A second reason for my interest in this topic is our three children who have gone through the Laboratory Schools. Their successes and failures have piqued my interest as a parent who has attended his fair share of school plays and concerts. Moreover, as a teacher at a graduate law school, I retain a keen interest in what happens in schools everywhere to understand better the training and outlook my students acquired when they were younger. What we can achieve with these students depends very much on how they were educated at school.