Fountain Hills resident Fred Bedell takes a highly personal look at education in America in his new book, Nobody Rises to Low Expectations: An Educational Modality Transforming Lives.

Bedell uses his own experiences in 30-plus years as an educator to highlight what he believes to be good and youth-friendly educational systems and practices.

He also sheds light on the practices in need of improvement -- all from the point of view of someone who spent decades in the hallways and classrooms.

Bedell has seen and used educational programs and practices that have worked well while others not so well. He has worked with many people he holds up as shining examples of how to work with kids and get the most out of them.

Many of these people and practices have enabled and encouraged the working relationship between the student(s), teacher(s) and community to get the most out of education.

Bedell attempts to put current issues in education into a realistic perspective showing that many obstacles are present and inhibit a successful education.

“I have painted a picture of issues and challenges that educators and the community at-large face in today’s economic and social environment and offered a variety of examples of programs and practices that have proved to be successful,” Bedell said.

“The major problems with the education system, in my view, are the obstacles that pervade the environment, the organization and operations of the schools, and we tend to ‘throw out the baby with the bathwater,’ effective programs and competent personnel are often lost in the machinations of the education milieu.

“Let us all raise our expectations as ‘nobody rises to low expectations,’ and education is everybody’s business.”

Bedell grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the 1940s and ‘50s and worked hard to rise above the expectations of the neighborhood to become an educator.

He worked as a teacher, guidance counselor and assistant principal in the White Plains school system. He also earned his political stripes serving as deputy mayor for the Village of Ossining, N.Y.

Bedell also served as principal of an open-education program for learning disabled students in Yorktown, N.Y.

He went on to work for the State of New York in the Division for Youth and the Department of Correctional Services. He returned to White Plains as assistant superintendent just prior to retiring.

Bedell earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University and a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts.

Since moving to Fountain Hills with his wife Gail, Bedell has stayed busy with writing and served on the Town of Fountain Hills Parks and Recreation Commission.