eduwonkette: Guest Blogger Sarah Reckhow: Easy to Blame

eduwonkette: Guest Blogger Sarah Reckhow: Easy to Blame

Eduwonkette lets ex-Douglass High School Teacher (and TFA alumni) Sarah Reckhow try and defend Douglass High School from the review that Liam Julian wrote for the National Review.

Like the documentary, her review does nothing to help Douglass High School. She rambles on for about 5 or 6 paragraphs before finally offering the only good thing that she can muster about Douglass High School.

Yet grumbling about the teachers who work in this difficult environment is not the answer. In fact, the film offers some illuminating scenes of teaching and learning at its best, only they don’t take place in a “typical” classroom setting. These include the school’s debate team, choir, band, and music production class. The students involved in these activities display precisely the attitudes we want schools to instill—pride, enthusiasm, and curiosity. Furthermore, the students are expected to perform well and rise to the occasion. Much of the commentary on this film has focused on Douglass at its worst, but much can be learned from Douglass at its best. [emphasis mine]

That's it. The best she can do is say that the students like extra-curricular activities. Her school has hit on a secret... that just about every other school in the world has already figured out.

At least she didn't blame the failures on money.