Big Mouth Strikes Again
February 26, 2009
Only in New York would a handful of musicians, actors, politicians, journalists, philanthropists and activists be eating dinner together. And not in a restaurant.
I had the opportunity to attend a dinner hosted by the Atlantic Monthly, to watch the State of the Union address last Tuesday. Afterwords a few of the attendees, mostly politicians, commented on the President’s speech. Among some of the guests were ex-governors, correspondents (like ABC News’ John Stossel), Eliot Spitzer (yes, for real) and NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein.
Joel Klein stood up to speak about Obama’s pledged commitment to education, and stressed the importance of investment in charter schools. I’m not sure what lit a fire under my ass (maybe because I was sitting in a room full of self-congratulatory public servants, or because of my selfish need for attention), but I proceeded to talk loudly over Mr. Klein, and then raise my hand impatiently. I think I meant to ask him a question, but I panicked (this was not, after all, a Town Hall meeting). I started rambling on about how I went to public school until seventh grade, and I was laughed at my first year in private school for not knowing what a beaker was. My voice cracked so badly, most people probably thought I was about to cry (I have a penchant for the dramatic). The moderator got the discussion back on track, and I was left to stew about how wildly inarticulate I had been in the presence of so many articulate professionals.
As we were leaving, I chased down Joel Klein to apologize for interrupting him. I regretted sounding like I was against him, after all he wasn’t chancellor when I was in school. I explained that I just get worked up about the state of our public schools, considering how expensive it is to live in this city. He asked me to write down my email address, which I assumed was a polite dismissal.
I was nothing short of surprised when I discovered a message from him in my inbox the next morning, especially considering my handwriting is entirely illegible (not the fault of public education, by the by). I sat at my computer, regretful that I had not brought a muzzle to the dinner, when lo and behold, Joel Klein had contacted me. So I responded and we started a short dialogue about how charter schools are good, and I mentioned one in particular that I visited where the teachers were enthusiastic and energetic. He agreed that the schools need better materials and equipment (like the beaker I never saw in the science class that didn’t exist). He reminded me that the Bloomberg administration has invested $8 billion in education, while trying to cut wasteful bureaucratic spending (okay, checkmate).
And he finished by saying, “Keep in touch from time to time. I like your fire.”
It’s a good thing I forgot the muzzle after all.
[...] her own experience in the city’s schools, and the two exchanged a few messages. On her blog, Stiles reveals the contents of their dialogue: I was nothing short of surprised when I discovered a message from him in my inbox the next [...]
Your concern for the state of education is real and while you focus on NYC, the concern is relevant to many areas all over the country. I teach in an area in Virginia that spends quite a bit of money on public education yet yields less than desireable results. I’m not pleased with the state of affairs in public education and if I don’t see some big changes with Duncan as our new Secretary of Education, I will most likely quit teaching altogether. The system is broken and reform cannot come soon enough.
Nice Smiths reference, by the way.
You may not have articulated your point well when you were on the spot, but it was still an important point. We may have made progress in education but there is still a long way to go. Your experience as a public school student was relevant to that discussion.
I’d like to hear more specific reasons why you support charter schools. Have you visited more than one?
I’m a former teacher who taught in two charters and remains on the fence about charters in general. Seems to me that we should be able to do what the effective charters are doing in ALL public schools. Why does there have to be a special niche?
And charter experts, particularly those at Teachers College where I’m studying ed policy, say the jury is still out on charters. It’s too early to make any grandiose proclamations about their efficacy or lack thereof.
So I’m wondering whether it was one little look at one little charter that’s got you all excited or if you’ve got more substantive reasons.
Hi Julia,
I enjoy reading your blog posts about most everything, but especially the situation within NYC schools. You may be interested in what out organization, Comp2Kids, is doing. As a grass roots organization we have, since 2002 we have raised $ from wealthy, and lately not quite so wealthy, New Yorkers and purchased refurbished computers for kids in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Harlem. The computers go directly to the kids (teachers too!), and the results have been dramatic. Our story is at comp2kids.org, we’re having our annual auction on May 6 in the lion’s den, the New York Stock Exchange.
Davis Guggenheim is making a documentary on the U.S. education system that I think will address many of our concerns — it will certainly open up door to a broader discourse, one that goes beyond politics. I believe they’re still filming, but am really looking forward to this.