I’ll be in San Diego and Orange County this week to promote my book about a charter school that prepares Mexican-American students to college, Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea and the School That Beat the Odds (Palgrave Macmillan). I’ll speak and sign books on Thursday, April 20 at 5:30 pm at High Tech High, 2861 Womble Rd., San Diego. In addition, High Tech High biology students will sell copies of their field guide, Perspectives on San Diego Bay, which just won a $10,000 national environmental award. The Orange County event will be Saturday, April 22 at 2 pm at Borders Books, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa.

The book follows the principal, teachers and students at a San Jose charter school founded by “grumpy optimists” determined to make a difference for Mexican-American students. Most Downtown College Prep students come from immigrant families and start ninth grade with fifth-grade reading and math skills. DCP promotes the work-your-butt-off style of education. Teachers don’t tell students they’re wonderful. They tell them they’re capable of improving. DCP now outscores the average high school on California’s Academic Performance Index, ranking 7 out of 10, and sends all its graduates to four-year colleges.