SCARBOROUGH & BRZEZINSKI ZERO IN ON EXCELLENCE - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

SCARBOROUGH & BRZEZINSKI ZERO IN ON EXCELLENCE - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Dr. Deborah Kenny and entertainer John Legends teamed up yesterday to share with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski some of the strategies and tactics that are bringing disadvantaged youth in Harlem to accomplish stellar results in math, science and reading,
even after entering the school with proficiency levels often a few grades behind.

The electricity in the conversation was more than apparent - 10 min. clip below - and is a must watch.  The talk also included a heavy dose of Race to The Top and national issues, with Scarborough being very pro-active in this line of questioning.

The schools are Harlem Village Academies and are "Schools Designed for Teachers", according to Dr. Kenny, co-founder and CEO, who was greatly influenced by GE's Jack Welch and his philosophy of leadership, management and motivation.

If this schools are designed for teachers, then why are they proving to be great for students?

John Legends summed it up:  It's about the kids.  When teachers are passionate about teaching, ultimately the kids benefit.  He talked about how charter schools can be great t "examples of excellence" and "examples of greatness" and how other schools other schools can try to "replicate" that behavior.