In Defense of Tony Danza

In Defense of Tony Danza

Apparently, teacher Danza had a number of problems over the course of his year in the educational trenches. He cried a lot, he sweat a lot, and he had disciplinary issues. All of those, except for the crying and the sweating, would be fairly typical for a first year teacher, especially in an inner city school, a euphemism for a school in an urban slum which usually generally poses far more challenges than does a suburban setting.

Crying, sweating, and disciplining weren’t Danza’s most serious problems in the classroom, however. That problem arose from his confrontation with the prevailing educational system, with entrenched NEA thought and dictates, and with the government.

Danza refused to allow three “learning disabled” (LD) students to repair to their “resource room” because he felt they were lazy slackers. Informed by the LD teacher that they were in fact not lazy but learning disabled, he was then hauled onto Northeast Principal Linda Carrol’s carpet and castigated for his job performance and advised he was breaking the law.

Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination against LD kids and refusing to allow them, or even discouraging them from going to their special room for assistance in their school work, constituted a violation of those laws. (http://tiny.cc/ltlnn) It’s doubtful that Danza faces prosecution or other retribution for his actions but, in his defense, he was probably acting ethically if not legally.

I never met the Danza Three and can’t say if they were indeed slackers but I’d probably be in his corner and support his decision. Having been there, done that, having taught, (coincidentally, sophomore English), for some 26 years and having seen resource rooms, LD teachers, principals, and parents in action, I can attest to the fact some kids can be lazy and the entire LD system of resource rooms, etc. is in serious need of revamping. . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=2344)