Natalie Schwartz '91 details the discrepancy between society's perception of the teaching profession and the actual experience of teachers in the classroom in her new book, "The Teacher Chronicles: Confronting the Demands of Students, Parents, Administrators and Society."

Schwartz asserts that the American public has come to accept myths about the teaching profession, believing teachers enjoy "low-pressure jobs," "short workdays" and "lengthy summer vacations." In reality, she writes, teachers not only have to deal with classroom violence, hostile parents and office politics, but also the painful issues affecting many of America's children: neglect, abuse, poverty, mental illness and emotional distress.

Schwartz graduated from Cornell with a degree in communication. She conducted more than 50 interviews with teachers all over America for the book, which is published by Laurelton Media.