Jonathan Kozol is an American writer, educator, and progressive activist renowned for his advocacy regarding public education in the United States. After graduating from Harvard University, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. His academic achievements, however, did not isolate him from the realities of the education system. Upon returning to the States, Kozol became a teacher in the Boston Public Schools. His commitment to teaching and his students was evident, even when it led to his termination for introducing a poem by Langston Hughes into the curriculum.

Kozol's experiences catalyzed a lifetime of dedication to education reform. He has been recognized for his contributions to the field, earning two Guggenheim Fellowships, being a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation twice, and receiving additional fellowships from both the Field and Ford Foundations. Kozol took his advocacy further by establishing Education Action, a non-profit organization focused on grassroots organizing of teachers. The group seeks to challenge policies such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and respond to contemporary educational issues reflected in Supreme Court decisions.