For my day job, I'm an editor for the best magazine in Austin, Austin Monthly. That job has allowed me the opportunity to meet great actors, musicians, artists and designers, but it has also allowed me to learn a lot about important issues that affect many people every day.



Our April issue focused on education, specifically public education in Austin. It looked at the city's best schools, according to the National Center for Educational Achievement. We looked at what it takes to be a good teacher, according to a few who have been awarded for their efforts, and we reported on charter, magnet and specialty schools in the Austin-area public school districts and examined their strengths, weaknesses and value in the school system (see a list of charter schools and magnet programs here). We also told people how to switch careers mid-life and enter the education field, and finally, we asked exactly what's working in our public schools and what isn't from the people who really matter: the students.

If you live in Austin and have school-age children, this issue is definitely one to grab. Plus, you'll read the story of Rupert Isaacson, an author, human rights activist and father of an autistic son, who went to great lengths to help his son deal with this difficult ailment. Isaacson's book, The Horse Boy, is out now and the related movie, Over the Hills and Far Away, was screened at Sundance and will be out later this year.

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