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TURNAROUND SPECIALIST
Part 2
Parke
Land is a “Turnaround Specialist”, one of about
a dozen public school principals hand-picked by the state of
Virginia to rebuild schools stuck at the bottom.
Land arrived at his new school, Boushall Middle School in Richmond,
brimming with confidence. “It’s not a huge mystery
how to turn schools around,” he said. Six weeks later,
however, Land appeared to be on the ropes.
“I don’t like failure,” he said. “And
it feels like failure”.
Was Boushall more than Parke Land had bargained for?
produced
and edited by John
D. Tulenko and David
Wald
VIEWER COMMENTS
BOUSHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL
STUDENT COMMENTS |
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"This
was an amazing piece. Just great. Really makes the point
that until you get a school under control there can be
no teaching or learning. Also makes the disturbing point
that the kids have to be persuaded, somehow, to take their
education seriously and to treat adults with respect.
The kids in the school may come from relatively poor households
and their parents may be dysfunctional but there has to
be a way to get them to see that their lives are over
unless they take school seriously. I felt sorry for the
principal, the teachers and the kids after seeing your
piece. Great work."
– Richard Colvin
"I just had to write you. I watched with great
interest your report on December 28th, the second in your
series about the middle school in VA. It was outstanding.
I would encourage you to contact the people at Frontline—I
think your series of reports would make an outstanding
1 1⁄2 or 2 hour program. The problems faces
by the teachers, parents, and students are so overwhelming,
that it makes one wonder how in its current state the
school can exist. I will watch with interest your
future reports."
–Jim Winker
"In 'Turnaround Specialist,' Parke Land had the insensitivity
to suggest to his teachers that the deplorable behavior
of their students was the result of the teachers' poor
planning. I taught high school for 30 years, encountering
some truly incorrigible students; I could see the frustration
and sadness in Lois Smith after six weeks with those kids.
Parke Land certainly fits the stereotype of many principals:
get as far away from teaching duties as possible, and
then blame everything on the embattled staff."
–James P. Hosey
"Thank you for your excellent coverage of the project
by Principal Parke Land to improve the learning environment
at Boushall Middle School. Lois Smith's observation that
the students do not respect themselves needs more illumination.
I think you set the stage for the school's neighborhood
in your 1st program, but an update on the home/ community
environment of these students would be a good addition
to the ongoing coverage of the school. These children
live with violence at home and in the streets of
the housing projects. How can you be ready to learn when
you don't feel safe/when you don't know if you will have
a future?"
–Helen Sanders
"The missing variable in Land's plan is the parents!
If these parents want their children to have a chance,
then require their assistance with discipline. The children's
lack of self-respect doesn't come from school."
–Yancy Meyer
"I am a substitute teacher in the Los Angeles Unified
School District and have taught school in many different
schools in many different areas of Los Angeles. The best
lesson plans in the world will not be useful with students
who have not learned or been taught self-discipline. First,
we need classes on good parenting, especially for those
from low-income families. Second, we need opportunity
for low-income families. Third, we need not smaller
class sizes but smaller schools. Then good teachers
and good lesson plans will turn failure into success. I
hope that this comment will be of some value in your future
broadcasts on inner-city schools."
–Dael Klippenstein
"I loved your piece on the inner city schools, but
why did you present it without discussion? Why didn't
anyone talk about why the school is failing, except for
the principal (who is hardly an objective source)?
Look at the way the two assistant principals failed to
reach the children (by not listening to them); at the
way the principal told his staff that they were "in
charge" of student behavior (when in reality, the
students are in charge of their own behavior). The
primary problem with this school is that the administration
doesn't know how to approach children. Why didn't
anyone talk about this?"
–Robert Shelton
"Regarding the 12/28/05 segment on the discipline
problems in a public school, it was clear the principal
had no understanding of what we used to call, "The
Training Trade-off." That is the minimum standard
of behavior that the students must meet or surpass in
order to be allowed to enter and stay in school. The principal
seemed to believe that the students had no responsibility
for their behavior and no standard of behavior to meet."
–Steve Slechta
"Most accurate report you have done i a long time.
Well documented and filmed. Showed true conditions and
asked tough questions. You should be this tough down the
line. Good job to whoever put it together."
–Joe Geronimo
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Original
Airdate: December 28, 2005 |
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