When author David J. Bates left the active duty military at age twenty-two in 1998, he had no idea what he was going to do with the rest of his life. A fortuitous meeting on the interstate led him to Dallas, Texas, where he was tasked to establish a Leadership Cadet Corps at the middle-school level to boost student performance. In Narrow It Down, Bates details the insight he gained during the establishment and facilitating of that program using his experience gained during his military service. Through the eyes of an educator, this combination of educational guide and memoir discusses the lessons he learned in this educational setting and touches on specific priorities that enable educators to focus on what's important in the classroom and in life. Bates shares ideas that could create a better educational system-one that encourages pro-active thinking to solve problems. Praise for Narrow It Down "Narrow It Down is a book about making a difference in the things you can control and focuses on raising the bar when it comes to the educational system. ... Programs like Coach Bates' can significantly help in keeping young North Texans-the future of our great state and nation-in school, and I applaud him on his efforts to build this program." -Congressman Pete Sessions