A native of Southern California, Dan grew up in a family that struggled to make ends meet. Drawn to the greater cause of making a life different for children trapped by poverty, Dan began teaching in an elementary school district in 1970 and taught most subjects at each grade from kindergarten through 9th in those early years, many in multi-age and looping classroom situations. After completing a Masters degree in school administration, Dan served as a vice principal, principal, central office administrator, small district superintendent, and county office of education associate superintendent – positions primarily held in his native California. Completion of doctoral studies led Dan into service as a researcher, speaker, and professor in schools of education since 1991. Dan has taught educational methods and instructional leadership around the world. He is currently an Associate Professor at Azusa Pacific University’s School of Education and Behavioral Studies. The contents of his writings reveal a bit of his heart for schools and for the lives of the children that are shaped within those school walls.