Community leaders, business lead-
ers, philanthropists, the movers
and shakers all call for changes
in the educational models to be
imposed (“imposed” being the norm-
ative word), on the American edu-
cational system to create excell-
ence and one after another fails,
fails, fails. What about forgett-
ing excellence for the moment and
fostering compassion, compassion
and more compassion in the class-
room? Might excellence follow? An-
ecdotally, tough love sure helped
someone very close to me. Oh, my,
I must be beside myself. Thank you,
Mrs. Allen, wherever you are. “Child,
when are you going to learn proper
hyphenation?”