A new year. New beginnings. In a fit of resolution, I set about cleaning my office. It was slow going. In part, the delay was a very good thing. I enjoyed exploring my collection of books. Many reflect my long standing interest in the purposes for schools. I still remember, with astonishing acuity, the origin; on an October day in 1980 a struggling 7th grade boy, "Tony," demanded an explanation for why he had to go to school. My responses were weak and uncertain; as an individual who has always loved school, I had never seriously considered the possibility that school was not a good place for everyone. John Goodlad's answer, presented in 1979 in the book What Schools are For, was one of the first coherent explanations that I encountered. I sometimes ponder if I could do a better job of responding to Tony.