Saturday, March 16, 2013

“But no one…” | Deborah Meier on Education

“But no one…” | Deborah Meier on Education:


“But no one…”

When I first came to NYC with three school-age children I was confronted by a near consensus view from old friends…”but no one sends their children to public school in NYC.” Followed by other suggestions. But, I stammered, there are more than a million children in NYC’s public schools…. Silence, embarrassed expressions. I felt naughty saying this.
But it wasn’t unanimous. Among the standouts was my friend Rochelle (Ricky) Flanders whose three children were attending NYC public schools!! I thought all three of her children were terrific, although they all had their share of complaints about schools, but also their share of good stories about teachers and friends. My children and I took their advice.
Both the naysayers and “sayers were right in their way,of course. Our public schools were not nearly as good as they needed to be. But it was that “no one” that was the clincher. I wanted my children never to think about