A Deafening Silence [View all]

[ellisonz]

By John Merrow
Education Correspondent, PBS NewsHour; Author, 'The Influence of Teachers'
Posted: 05/04/2012 6:52 am

"I want to be a veterinarian, and I want to go to Princeton University," a smiling 15-year-old girl told us when we were filming at KIPP: Believe, a high-performing charter school in New Orleans. Tell us more, we said. "I want to finish college because I want to have that pride in myself that, to know that I finished something, that I went somewhere and I finished it," Christine Marcelin added.

Watching her speak, one senses that Christine has what it takes, and it's easy to imagine her becoming a successful vet, or perhaps a doctor or business leader.

Her history teacher, Scarlett Feinberg, shared that view:

Christine always cared how other people were feeling, she put her team first always. She really cared that her friends were successful too, and she would talk to her classmates about being better. She embodied hope that we could be the change we want to see in New Orleans, and no matter how hard things were, she believed that we could all work together and make a difference. She was counting down the days to start high school because it was a step closer to college, getting her degree and beginning a career helping others.

If you read that paragraph carefully, you noted that Ms. Feinberg spoke about Christine in the past tense. She won't be going to Princeton, won't be a veterinarian and won't have a long life dedicated to rebuilding New Orleans and helping others.

More: HuffPo Story