Robert Walls
Folk Hero
by
I first heard of Robert Walls when I read the New York
Times Op-Ed piece by Peggy Orenstein, Saturday morning of
December 7, 1996. My reaction was admiration. I immediately
fired up my computer, logged on and went right to the webbed New York Times. I located the
Op-Ed piece and sent it to a number of
lists to which I subscribe with the Subject: Robert Walls: Folk
Hero; and the Message: "If Robert Walls is on this list or if
anyone knows him, please send me his email address so I can
congratulate him, invite him to dinner and introduce him to my
students if he is ever in New York City." Within a half an hour,
I had his email address. In another half hour I received email back from Robert Walls. We started a
dialogue which set the foundation for
this article. Well, as it happens he was
coming to New York City in the beginning of February. We
will have our dinner, we speak
together, and he will meet my
students, who have written their own opinions on the Walls situation. Mr Walls read many of their opinions and responded
to them. This one incident suggests to me a very powerful
connection between the Internet and education.
Mr Walls responded to some initial questions with this
reponse:
Lakeview students are generally middle to upper middle class kids who are a little naive about
the real inner workings of an urban city school--they are the sons and daughters of mainly
professional
people(attorneys, doctors,etc.). There is a small percentage of
middle class students and some "rednecks". Overall they are great
kids, hungry to learn. The class I teach is a senior/junior
Psychology class, the book, SchoolGirls, was assigned as outside
resource material and a report was due in the first grading
period on the text. The text was discussed in class on a weekly
basis in regards to the classroom text. The school, Lakeview High
School, is a fast growing school district with over a thousand
students in the high school. The area's homes sell in
$150,000-1million range. There is a new $8million house being
built right outside Cortland. I have been teaching 6 years,
having spent over 20 years in business and law enforcement. The
reactions from my colleges was very supportive. In fact the
entire English department was present at the school board meeting
to show support. The students were behind me 100%, they loved the
book. The administrators were reacting to a small but vocal group
in the community and really were confused about the book and how
it was being used in class. The reports the students wrote were
not computerized but typed. Peggy got involved when I contacted
her online and requested some information. She was a really big
help in assisting me gather information such as reviews, and
letters of support.
Notes on External Links:
- The Ted Nellen link
takes you to the author's resume.
- The New York Times link
takes you to the online version where you can subscribe for free or look
at today's issue if you are already subscribed.
- opinions links you to
the essays written by Ted Nellen's Cyber English class based on the
Times' Op-ed.