Before 'What' (We Teach) Comes 'Why'
Deborah Meier's conversation with Robert Pondiscio continues today.
Dear Robert,
Welcome to you, and your many friends and fans! This should be fun.
I have been doing a lot of school visiting lately—private, charter, public (traditional), public (progressive), rural and urban! In New York City; San Jose, Calif.; and more. As I write this, I'm sitting in the office of June Jordan High School—a 10-year-old small public school in San Francisco. Which reminds me that it would be interesting and useful sometime to visit schools together—ones you admire and ones I do! Your two most admired educators coming, as you say, from very different perspectives suggests that you meet one of June Jordan's fundamentals: "Assume Positive Intentions." That's our shared starting point—however naïve.
June Jordan H.S also has four basic principles: Respect, Integrity, Courage, and Humility. That last one is a bit unusual in schools I visit. I am not a David Brooks fan, but I have taken note of our shared view of the importance of "Humility." Plus I would add: a sense of humor, especially about ourselves. So nothing so far tells us where June Jordan fits on a left-to-right axis. Nor does Mission Hill's "Work Hard, Be Kind," which is much the same as KIPP's motto. Points for your point. (Clue: Both June Jordan and Mission Hill are proudly progressive schools.) Interesting.
Let's focus on the "ideals" we each "cling to with both hands." It's interesting that your first (a
