To Mark Zuckerberg from a former classmate: Why I’m ‘alarmed’ by your new school reform effort
Emily Talmage is an elementary school teacher in Lewiston, Maine, who happened to be a classmate of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg when they both attended Phillips Exeter Academy as teenagers. In the education world, Zuckerberg is known for his $100 million gift to Newark Schools, money that was largely wasted, as told in a recent book by Dale Russakoff, a former Washington Post reporter, titled “The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools?” Here’s an open letter to Zuckerberg from Talmage about one of his latest education reform efforts. Talmage has seven years of teaching experience in New York City and Maine, as well as a masters degree in urban education from Mercy College and a masters degree in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Here’s the letter, which originally appeared on EmilyTalmage.com:
Dear Mark,You probably don’t remember me, but we were students together at Phillips Exeter Academy 15 years ago. I was a lower (sophomore) when you were a senior, so our paths didn’t overlap much, but I do believe we had one class together — Latin with Mr. Morante.I’m writing for two reasons: first, a quick thank you for Facebook. I’ve always enjoyed it as a social tool, but recently I have discovered how powerful it can be as networking tool to gather people around a common cause. Lately, I’ve connected with parents, teachers, administrators, bloggers, and other activists around the country who are all working passionately toward one goal: getting our local schools back from the powerful corporate and political interests that now strangle them. We share notes and research, triumphs and setbacks, inspiration and outrage, and lately it seems — incrementally at least — that we may be getting somewhere.A bit about me: after Exeter and college (Amherst ’07), I followed the two-year teaching-temp route through the New York CityTo Mark Zuckerberg from a former classmate: Why I’m ‘alarmed’ by your new school reform effort - The Washington Post: