Montel Williams: "Just Let Teachers Teach!"
By Anthony Cody.
Last week as I was tweeting in support of the Newark Students Union occupation of their state-appointed administrator’s office, I was surprised to see a familiar name joining the chorus of support for these young activists. Montel Williams was right in there, tweeting his own support, and retweeting messages of solidarity with the occupation. So when I was asked by the National School Boards Association if I would like to interview Mr. Williams, and Thomas J. Gentzel, the NSBA’s Executive Director on Public Schools, I was happy to send questions, which were posed and answered in this video.
What experiences of your own have shaped your desire to support public education?
Montel Williams: This has been a lifetime of support for public schools, because I am a product of the public school system. I am a product of busing. I grew up in a little enclave outside of Baltimore, Maryland – a little area called Glen Burnie, which was Cedar Hill. I would not be where I am today without the hard work of my teachers, the school board at the time. The foundation of my success was built at Andover High School. And because of that, I want to make sure that we ensure that every child in this country has that same opportunity.
Thomas J. Gentzel: In every community in this country, there are doctors, lawyers, they run the body shop in town, they have all these businesses – almost all of them came through the public school system. So having a strong school system is absolutely vital to making sure this country remains strong in the future.
Many parents and students are concerned these days about the way that testing seems to have taken over the mission of our schools. What do you think about the amount of tests and the way these tests are being used?
Montel Williams: This whole idea that one size fits all – will end up fitting none. The idea that we can just test test test test and teach our children how to be lemmings and rote memorize things is not going to lead to a successful, educated workforce. We’ve got to have a big conversation about this – and we are. The National School Boards Association is having that conversation. People think this edict is coming from them. In fact, they are the ones responding to their community, trying to incorporate their ideas. The NSBA is saying we need to change this idea of trying to make kids regurgitate, and instead, make people process and learn.
Thomas J. Gentzel: This is a big issue for us, and I should point out, our organization is a private non-profit – we are not a government agency. We are representing these local officials who are typically unpaid folks Montel Williams: "Just Let Teachers Teach!" - Living in Dialogue:
