ABSTRACT
This chapter explains that people still have a passion gap in schools, and it goes deeper than ever before. The mixed signals start in both private and public education. State Education Departments hold local districts and systems accountable for meeting standards at high levels at every grade level and standardized test. Merriam-Webster defines passion in this way: "intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction", and "a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept". The chapter provides Houston's story, which illustrates the problem that people face with student achievement goes far deeper than frustration or lack of motivation and way beyond simple boredom. It presents the example of teacher passion put into practice is teacher and professor, Donald Graves, a master at connecting his passion for writing with individual student passion. He showed how to teach young writers to write about what they know and care about, by sharing what we know and care about.
