The Scarlet T Outrages (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out)

Outrages (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out)

The Scarlet T

This spring, special education teacher Anthony Mullen -- former New York City police officer --was named the 59th National Teacher of the Year. For the past seven years, Mullen has taught at an alternative high school in Connecticut, where he works with students who are often on their last academic stop. As NTOY, Mullen will be on leave from his classroom for the academic year. He will travel the country, speaking to educators and reformers about what he sees as the greatest threat to American education: this country’s high dropout rate. Mullen blogs about his experiences at Road Diaries/Education Week blog.

by Anthony Mullen

The man wearing a Rolex watch approached me during a break in my son's basketball game. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Fine."

"This must be a crazy year for you," he said.

"Yeah--but speaking on behalf of children and teachers is a privilege." I replied.

The man nodded and glanced at a Blackberry in his right hand. "It must be nice to be a teacher," he remarked.

"Why's that?" I asked.