Welcome to Boot Camp
Welcome to Boot Camp
“Miss C, when you were gone, I was so scared, I thought I was in boot camp!” -one of my first graders, after I returned from a meeting.
This piece serves as a glimpse inside a South Bronx charter school, told from the perspective of a classroom teacher. With the overblown acclaim of charter schools as a means of education “reform” in recent months, I jumped at the chance to tell my story. I realize that mine is just one story and there are infinite stories and viewpoints held for any given situation; someone else in my shoes might offer a completely different account. My hope is that my story will spark a conversation, offer new perspectives, and raise a few questions. Teacher's voices can be powerful when they are allowed to be heard.
Charter schools are public schools, and can be started by and run by anyone. It is not uncommon for them to be