"Hamilton” Presents a Teachable Moment

The only thing that most students know about Alexander Hamilton is that is portrait is on the front of a ten-dollar bill. They know little about his role in the establishment in the Bank of the United States or his relationship with Aaron Burr. It seems that every now and again something pops up in popular American culture that strikes a nerve in the public psyche.  In  1977, the mini-series “ Roots” placed the African- American struggle front and center on the TV sets of Americans.  The same can be said a year later (1978) when the series” Holocaust” brought the Nazi atrocities into mainstream American consciousness.

Turning to Broadway, the musical “1776” debuted in 1969 dramatized the struggle of our Founding Fathers to produce the Declaration of Independence and the fledgling nation of the United States of America. This show later became a motion picture in 1972. All of these events created teachable moments that could be used in the classroom to make history come alive and more palatable to students.

Which brings us now to “ Hamilton” the Broadway smash hit that has already won a Pulitzer Prize and is destined to walk away with a lion’s share of Tony Awards come June. Tickets are virtually impossible to get- it is probably easier to visit the White House. What is it about the rap music and nontraditional cast that has caught America’s attention? Will students even be able to get in to see this? (I have been told that there are seats available on certain nights for students at a more affordable rate). The message here is that “Hamilton” is one of those rare teachable moments that classroom teachers should take advantage of. Please read Zach Shonfeld’s article in the February 9^th issue of Newsweek.

(Hamilton is currently playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York. There are plans for several traveling companies in the future.)

c. 2016  J. Margolis

Banning the Bible (Again)

Each year the American Library Association (ALA) publishes a list of books that have been challenged or banned in school or public libraries around the country.

The ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom monitors the actions and prepares A “State of the Libraries” report. Over the years, challenged books have included The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Harry Potter Series, A Catcher in the Rye, and other books that have explicit sexual or violent content, like the more recent 50 Shades of Grey.

One book that is perennially on the list is the Bible. The question that comes up as to whether a school or public library purchasing a copy of the Bible is, in fact, a separation of church and state violation.

In a number of school districts, the use of the Bible has been acceptable in at least two circumstances. One- it is an appropriate text in a course in Comparative World Religions. Two- it is also an acceptable text to use in a course entitled "The Bible as Literature.” In either case, there is no proselytizing of religion in the classroom.

The academic community and the public at large must be diligent with regard to the dangers of censorship. Students need to be exposed to stories about diversity and the multi-cultural society that we live in.

This year Banned Books Week will be observed from September 26- October 1^st.

You can obtain more information about banned books from the ALA web site (ALA.org) You can also contact the Office of Intellectual Freedom directly by calling 

1-800-545-2433 ext. 2433 or email oif@ala.org.

C.2016 J. Margolis

Book Review- Crossing Broadway- Its’ Importance for Educators

I recently finished reading Crossing Broadway- Washington Heights and the Promise of New York City by Robert W. Snyder. This book traces the history of the various ethnic groups that inhabited this neighborhood –Irish, Jewish, Greek, Puerto Rican and Dominican. For many it was the first stop on the immigration train and became a springboard, for some, to a better middle class life in New York and its suburbs. Snyder, a professor of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey, takes a detailed look at this neighborhood near the George Washington Bridge, and the collage of cultures that made it both unique and familiar in the American immigration experience.

One topic, of particular interest to me, is the discussion of public education in Washington Heights. George Washington High School was the epicenter of public schools in the neighborhood and had a fine reputation. Not that far away, the public schools in Harlem, still a part of the New York Public School system, had a less stellar reputation. The schools represented the aspirations of the families that that sent their children there. Get an education- be the first in the family to go to college- get a good paying job- and move out of the Heights.

Crossing Broadway also traces the trials of the teachers unions, in this case the American Federation of Teachers, and their quest for better conditions for their students, reducing overcrowding and the defacto segregation that existed in New York public schools.

Readers  are also introduced to Mrs. Ellen Lurie, mother of two school-aged children, who became an activist for integration and the plight of minority children in the school system. She was also at the forefront of an effort for community control of schools.

Professor Snyder also weaves in the politics of the neighborhood and the city and the roles of its various mayors, Lindsay, Dinkins, Giuliani, and Bloomberg.

While much of this book deals with cultural, economic and political issues, it is a worthwhile read for educators to wish to understand the ongoing struggle for better public education in minority neighborhoods and what parents and teachers can do to empower themselves.

Crossing Broadway By Robert W Snyder

C.2015

Cornell University Press

C.2016 J. Margolis

Do Unionized Teachers Make a Difference in the Classroom?

A recent article that appeared in the NJEA Review, the magazine of the New Jersey Education Association, attempted to establish a correlation between student achievement and strong union membership. The article, written by Kathryn Coulibaly, an associate direfcto4r of public relations for the teachers association noted that nine of the top ten states for student performance were in places that were highly unionized. Those states were Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Colorado. The only state that was a non- unionized workplace (A “Right to Work” state) was Virginia. It should also be noted tat most of the successful states were located in the Northeast United States.

The author believed that states with a string union presence were more likely to be advocates for students and would champion school equity in funding schemes. Dedicated teachers/slash union members would fight against privatization, a policy many believe is detrimental to the education process.

It should be pointed out that this article was written before the recent US Supreme Court ruling regarding agency fees, which when enacted, require non- union members to pay a fee to the unions who provide collective bargaining for all teachers.

I had a difficult time in digesting this information. When I was teaching an introductory class in teacher education, one of text topics was about whether teaching was a white collar or blue-collar profession. Union membership, as opposed to professional association membership (Like the American Medical Association) tended to lessen the status of teachers. One need look no further than what Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has done to public employees, especially teachers, to see the highs and lows of union membership and its impact in schools.

If you can get a hold of this article, read it. I look forward to your comments.

(See New Jersey Education Review- April 2016 issue. (pp.21-25)

c. 2016 J. Margolis