Experiences From:'The School of Hard Knocks'

Story of an Educator

A touch inner-city kid who eventually grew to be Principal, a job he never aspired. How life's experiences, the School of Hard Knocks, and life's peculiar twists of fate somehow predetermined that for a short moment in time he would be the head of an urban high school.

This is a story of five encounters on one particular day and how they impacted his life and the lives of teachers, parents, and students. Mr. Francisco's flashbacks to his youth on the streets of New York's West Side are musing and heart piercing. They provide the basis and experience for his problem solving and decision making.

The author questions the overemphasis on the acquisition of facts and assessment and the lack of student interaction with ideas and experiences. He questions the lack of development of character in our schools. He advocates student and teacher incentives grounded in effort and productivity.

In the end, we are reminded that life's experiences from the School of Hard Knocks often remain with us for a lifetime.