Road Diaries: 2009 Teacher of the Year
In spring of 2009, special education teacher Anthony Mullen -- former New York City police officer -- was named the 59th National Teacher of the Year. Mullen taught at an alternative high school in Connecticut, where he worked with students who are often on their last academic stop. As NTOY, Mullen was on leave from his classroom for the academic year. He traveled the country, speaking to educators and reformers about what he sees as the greatest threat to American education: this country’s high dropout rate. Mullen’s opinion blog discussed his experiences in this space. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: dropouts.
Education
Opinion
How Teachers Saved a Nation
Anthony Mullen shares his most profound discovery from his trip to Japan: How a nation can rebuild through schools.
Education
Opinion
Lost in Translation
I am sitting in the back seat of a polished black sedan accompanied by four Japanese men wearing copycat dark suits, white shirts, and navy blue ties. The chauffeur is a rough looking man and he is wearing a pair of white gloves. I am heading to a meeting with the governor of Chiba Prefecture but feel as though I am the unwilling passenger in some Japanese gangster movie. The car's trunk is large enough to accommodate my American body, and Tokyo Bay can be seen in the distance.
Education
Opinion
To Build a Better Mousetrap
After a recent trip to Japan, Anthony Mullen concludes that Americans aren't necessarily trailing the rest of the world in math and science.
Education
Opinion
War and Peace
The young marine from The Bronx listened to the lean sergeant talk about the invasion of Japan. The Gunnery Sergeant did not need to remind the group of battle weary marines that any attempt to land on Japan proper would be met with fierce resistance. The Pacific island hopping campaign had proven the Japanese Imperial Army would sacrifice all to prevent an invasion of their homeland. The lives of hundreds of thousands of Japanese and American soldiers were lost on mostly obscure coral atolls and volcanic spits of land, and military analysts were projecting similar or greater numbers of casualties when Allied forces landed in Japan.
Education
Opinion
One Is the Loneliest Number
A trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom has Anthony Mullen thinking about the dangers of children who become socially isolated from their peers.
Education
Opinion
Cats and Dogs
Seventy percent of children with severe emotional disabilities will drop out and three-quarters of them could end up in jail, according to Anthony Mullen.
Education
Opinion
Piranhas on the Prairie
Anthony Mullen confronts the difficult subject of teenage suicide following his trip to Pierre, S.D., formerly known as "Suicide City."
Education
Opinion
Ghosts of New Orleans
I am sitting in the back of a taxi heading to the French Quarter. The drive to my hotel is bumpy.
Education
Opinion
A Tale of Two Schools
Growing up in New York City presented many challenges but one of them was not dealing with snakes. I fear snakes. The very word snake elicits a creepy, tingling sensation around my ankles. But what benign synonym do I substitute for snake?
Education
Opinion
Damn Teenagers
I am sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial scraping an Italian ice with a wooden spoon. I find myself here almost every time I visit our nation's capital. The city has many beautiful monuments and each is unique in purpose and meaning to visitors. The war memorials command reverence and can make a grown man cry, visitors gasp while looking up at the Washington Monument, and although only a few people can find the Jefferson Memorial on the first try, there is no more beautiful place to be during the cherry blossom season. But the memorial to the 16th president of the United States lures my heart and soul. The twenty-eight Georgia marble pieces that form the statue of Abraham Lincoln provides me with a sense of serenity and security.
Education
Opinion
May You Live in Interesting Times
While purported to be a blessing the ancient Chinese proverb "May you live in interesting times" may be a curse. Teachers certainly live in interesting times but we are plague with much turmoil in our professional lives.
Education
Opinion
The kids are alright
Some people want bad things to happen. It’s a quirk peculiar to smart and not so bright people alike and probably has some unclear purpose in the human genome. On the evening of December 31st, 1999, I was assigned to help police the crowds gathering at Times Square to welcome the New Year. A few hours separated the relative calm I was experiencing and the Y2K nightmare certain pundits claimed would occur when the clock struck midnight.
Education
Opinion
Y'all talk Funny
I cannot seem to leave the Bronx behind me.
My New York accent and a deviated septum are beginning to make me feel like a pilgrim in my native land. It seems that almost everywhere I speak children ask, “Where are you from?” Southerners are particularly sensitive to the tone and cadence of my voice. A young boy in Alabama listened to me order a burger and fries in a fast food restaurant and then remarked, “Y’all talk funny.”
My New York accent and a deviated septum are beginning to make me feel like a pilgrim in my native land. It seems that almost everywhere I speak children ask, “Where are you from?” Southerners are particularly sensitive to the tone and cadence of my voice. A young boy in Alabama listened to me order a burger and fries in a fast food restaurant and then remarked, “Y’all talk funny.”