"The Garden Path" is a fictitious novel, although it was based on the real-life experiences of Dr. Perry himself. The story line follows what Dr. Perry went through administrating 4 charter schools in New Orleans POST-Katrina. He explained how the school board fired most of the teachers in New Orleans because the schools were so terrible and handed them over to people like him who wanted to change them for the better. He gave an example of how bad the schools were by telling us that one of their high school's valedictorians couldn't even pass the general exit exam, which is on a 10th grade level.
Dr. Perry's main focus in his life and in his lecture was to stress the importance of education. He told us all to stay in school and to become experts in our fields so that we may teach others. He believes in helping others through education, especially like the underprivileged people in New Orleans who didn't have the means to vacate the city when the storm hit.
Dr. Perry was very interesting because he was so passionate about his work and the advancement of his people. He was also very down to earth and interacted with us all as if he was one of us.
I had never heard of Andre Perry before I read your post, but this certainly sounds like one of the better events. I found it shocking that the high school valedictorian couldn't pass a 10th grade-level exam. I wonder if he talked about the current state of the charter schools? Either way, I can see how having five or six other students at the event would make for a more intimate environment.
ReplyDeleteKorinn, interesting panel you attended! Sounds like a fascinating book and experience. Keep this in mind as we move through the semester -- our last book is about Katrina.
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