School Pride

Set your DVRs for Saturday October 15 at 8:00.  NBC is premeiring it's newest reality show, School Pride.  You can read what NBC has to say about it here, but basically, it's Extreme Home Makeover with schools! Community members will work together to improve and refurbish their schools and rebuild community spirit and involvement. I'm really excited about this show-I hope it lives up to the hype!

Having grown up and student taught in suburban schools in Indiana, and then teaching in a poverty stricken area of Mississippi, the differences between the "haves" and "have nots" were staggering to me.  In my school in Mississippi, carpeted classrooms, paper towels and soap in bathrooms, and even daily cleaning  of classrooms were considered "luxuries".  Our window screens were torn, there were bugs and mold growing in my classroom, and much of our equipment was broken or in disprepair.  It's a sad fact that many of our nations poorest students often go to schools that are in poor condition.

I hope this show takes off-it's only a tv show, of course, but think of all the lives it will touch if it is successful!  Kudos to NBC!