The first part of the new name is in honour of Edna Burke Jackson, the first African-American teacher at the school and easily the best teacher I ever had.
Mrs Jackson was a 1.45m force of nature, and I loved her as much as I’ve ever loved anyone who consistently frightened me. She was innovative, challenging and tireless, even though she’d been teaching for almost 40 years by the time we met. Mrs Jackson and I shared space in a school that was horribly overcrowded with students, most of whom came from intensely challenging circumstances and had no interest in being there. I took a class from her in each of my three years, and somehow she managed to not only keep my interest but start me on the road to becoming a critical thinker and reasonably engaged planet Earth citizen.
In a perfect world, every student would have a dozen Mrs Jacksons, and teachers would be among any nation’s highest-paid and most respected professionals. Sadly, in the US, we are systematically running them out of the building, using a potent cocktail of lousy pay, worse working conditions, crazed parents, intimidating school boards and the prospect of catching a deadly disease.
Denne historien er fra September 10 - 16, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra September 10 - 16, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
