All too often in American education, mediocrity pays. Efforts to reform and improve schools will continue to fail until that fundamental problem is addressed. Below C Level provides a road map for success from a veteran PBS and NPR reporter. According to John Merrow, these changes won't be easy, but our country has no choice if we wish to remain a competitive democracy. John Merrow has been reporting on education for 35 years. In this collection of provocative essays, covering teaching and learning from preschool to prisons, he describes the challenges facing our nation and offers thoughtful analysis and solutions.