Worst Job In The World

There is NO job that I would want less than the administrator of a city school district. Being literally on the other side of the Philadelphia border (I could throw a stone from my home into the City of Philadelphia), I hear and see what goes on every day in this and presumably most inner-city districts: little funding, much in the way of societal challenges, and demonization by our government, criticizing these schools as "failing" without recognizing that many of these children, and families, live day-to-day in an environment 180 degrees removed from many of those on the other side of the border -- with stable families, well-funded districts, active parent participation in education, well-maintained schools, etc. No one in Washington seems to realize that if you can't level the environmental playing field, you can't expect an inner-city school to "succeed," at least by the so-called No Child Left Behind parameters.

That being said...I have to take a little dig at Philadelphia schools superintendent Paul Vallas, who has done what I think is an exceptional job first in Chicago, and now in Philadelphia, trying to improve a city school district. In response to a recent proposal to increase student contribution toward mass transit in order to try and balance the Philadelphia School District's budget, Vallas asked what else might the District cut to balance the budget -- and listed a few options including "buy less books."

It's "FEWER books," Paul, not "less books." But I respect and admire what you're doing for the city's schools, and wouldn't want your job for the world. Though, someday, something draws me toward crossing Stenton Avenue and trying to help, in whatever little way I can. But I've got to win Powerball first so I can ditch this vicious financial-services cycle that has me here where I am now...

(In retrospect: this little linguistic dig sounds WAY petty. But let's throw it out on the Blogosphere, in the spirit of full disclosure. It's that damned Ketel One talking again.)