Bill Cosby Interviews Deborah Kenny On Revolutionary Schools

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Bill Cosby asked Deborah Kenny about the events that are causing her school to be succesful. He gave her a lists of questions that really asked about the process that goes on in the revolutionary schools.Cosby asked What are you doing that other schools aren't?

Deborah Kenny answerd that our country's approach to education has been wrong for decades. We're failing because we treat teachers like factory workers—they teach a prescribed curriculum from preselected books.Wow just take the words out of my mouth, why dont you. Other school's around the counrty are running great environments of learning. The Harlem Village Academies in Harlem NY, based thier findings on one core idea: belief in the power of teachers.They coach teachers weekly on how to make lessons more challenging and interesting for the kids and give them the freedom to run their own classrooms. That engenders passion and dedication, and in the end those schools can hold our teachers accountable for results.

Cosby wonder why this school estimated over 500 applicants for one teacher opening. What makes you look at someone and say, "You're it!"? This is amazing that teachers want to teach at a high level. But, just think! This is one of the best schools in the counrty. Who would not want to teach at a schoollike this. Of course teachers have to know their subjects inside and out. But the real question we want answered is. Do you believe that all children have the potential to learn? Yes all children have the potential to learn something.There are some educators who say things like some kids just won't make it or Let's go easy on these kids since they're poor or black and Hispanic.Lol, no one goes easy on me. But, really I think that if I was giving every thing I would not repect it. This would not be a good way of thinking and revolutionary schools don't want people with that attitude working in there school.

The revolutionary schools offer a program for kids that fall behide called "catching up." They don't use standardized tests as our measure because passing them is just the beginning. They want thier students to be sophisticated thinkers who are creative and able to study at an intense level. And it can take up to four years to get them to that level.But, it comes over time. The last quetion Cosby asked was about schools not following this successful example. In America there are so many children that live in poverty. But, this doesn't mean that they can't make it in life. But they will learn many lessons over the years and are now figuring out how to share that knowledge with educators around the country. That's a critical first step to solving the education problem nationally.