The experiences of a young, tough-minded, idealistic high school English teacher on his first job provided the stories in this series. John Novak begins at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles under Principal Albert Vane, who doesn't always agree with Novak's approach, but admires his dedication to teaching. Eventually, Vane is elected to state superintendent and Martin Woodridge becomes the new principal. Stories centered on the life of Novak, student-teacher relationships, and the struggles of other young teachers.