Movie on Cobb educator's life with Tourette syndrome to re-air

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cobb County educator Brad Cohen isn't going to be home to watch the CBS movie Saturday night. But that's OK -- he's seen it before.

Enlarge photo

Special, 2008 Brad Cohen on the set of the CBS movie "Front of the Class" about his life as a teacher with Tourette Syndrome. The movie is being re-aired on Saturday.

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"Front of the Class," based on Cohen's book by the same name, is the story of his struggle with Tourette syndrome on the way to becoming an inspirational teacher. It will re-air at 8 p.m. Saturday, more than a year after it was first televised.

Cohen said he hasn't seen the movie since it aired in December 2008, and on Saturday he and wife Nancy will be attending a wedding so he'll have to record it. Still, he's excited to share his story with a new audience and raise awareness of his condition.

"This movie is very, very authentic," Cohen told the AJC in 2008.

Now an assistant administrator at Mountain View and Chalker elementary schools, Cohen was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 10. Tourette’s is a neurological disorder known for its involuntary movements and vocal sounds, called tics.

School wasn't easy for Cohen, he says, because teachers simply didn't understand his condition. That changed in the eighth grade when a principal gave Cohen the chance to educate his entire school about Tourette's.

Cohen was inspired to become an educator himself and he never backed away from his goal, even after being turned down after 25 job interviews. Now, he's on track to reach his goal of being a school administrator one day.

Until then, Cohen has plenty on his agenda to keep him busy.

He recently started the Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation to help raise money for programs such as summer camps for children with Tourette's. Last summer, actor Jimmy Wolk, who plays Cohen in the movie, attended a camp in Winder that Cohen organized.

And, he and his wife are expecting their first child at the end of March.

In addition to Wolk, "Front of the Class" also stars Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) and Treat Williams (“Everwood” and “Heartland”).

"I'm really excited," Cohen said Thursday. "I'm probably not going to be able to sleep tonight."