You're watching...

Tony Danza’s Attempt to Improve Education

Details

  • Description

    Actor Tony Danza on his experience as a high school English teacher and new book, “I’d like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had”.

  • Duration 7:49
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Latest Video

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

I'm -- -- part about it more now.

Electoral apologize to every two -- around.

Laura and ark Arkansas.

Well I -- -- a couple years ago I was that I had cultural here and a defiant.

And I was closing and -- my sixtieth birthday.

I was thinking about what I should do usually get very sort of reflective -- sixty really shall we have one life I thought uniter.

What do something and I went to school and to be -- -- study to be teachable wanna finish that and think I.

Was ready to teach anybody anything but it stayed with me -- thought -- -- -- what's going on an arm like most people most Americans worried about the education system million.

If you drop on a million kids a year and a nice sustain a great country so sure I wanna see what was going on so.

I -- -- my way into Philadelphia school district you they -- nice of the take me and I I taught -- grade English for a year in -- at a school northeast high school.

On cotton and now gone any vikings in -- house if you're listening.

And it's.

It's 3500 kids over fifty languages spoken in the school of -- comprehensive high school only 200 teachers.

And and it was an incredibly eye opening new experience and and I also the title comes from how hard I saw that how hard I found a job but it also comes from the fact like a I think a lot of people look back on this school uses say.

We show would've applied myself a little bit more like -- -- learn more.

And a and and that regret to -- what what sort of brought about the book what are you teaching in temporary.

English ironically I'm teaching English put on teaching and you start with -- he's basically it's a story -- of the hero.

Creation myths -- the passed a verb councils and yet but then you go into mice and men in them a mockingbird and Julius Caesar -- The sonnets and and I think you finish with animal farm.

-- -- -- -- Yes and I learned this curriculum so as -- it was not -- the easiest.

Over the -- I was talking this morning about.

But on our target as a -- -- Korea.

About -- of the joy of actors -- were -- because.

Mr.

Zoellick and -- don't care -- -- whether the general.

If you don't mind him in a -- I'm but I'm open to everything picnic.

There is nothing mountain range -- government.

Because this sense you could you get smokers are not aware of anything other than what you re.

Yeah and the -- and the problem is is that the kids don't read is not that they can't easily could.

That is an -- illiterate they illiterate they can they can but they won't to.

And so that's one of the things you have to tried you know you try to really really bridges to get them to understand that it's a story.

It's not just you know it's it's something and I I had some success I mean -- I really did it the more you Willem.

The more -- sort of connected the stories to their lives made it relatable to them the more than -- sort of responded but it is -- -- and ha get these moral reasoning and yet rated.

Yeah well that's right exactly.

By giving examples of how it works and and -- -- -- the joy of being a teacher.

I was I was I was doing here when you're from America's sure -- -- famous and our friend.

-- -- but not but the kids remember they've born and way after the last show I had a note was on the -- so basically I got you know I.

The Jews and it was sort of my I think my mother's a fan and want -- kid says that I Alter -- -- glad it wasn't his grandmother you know so I was happy that -- -- -- -- That was -- there was a moment to -- so this signifies to -- symbolizes this is the joy you get from teaching idea.

I had -- my cement in the beginning of the year to them and then months later spring break I didn't do now do now is -- economy begin to do something right away the teaches -- get a kick out of that coastal teacher terms.

Anyway to kids came minutes -- do it right which it did over the spring break.

And one kid did and -- rages who was raging who's doing this was when that the one -- said he had told the stories at 240 pound.

The football player and he said that he -- -- -- will cry the night before would have his -- -- wanna web sites and they stay separating -- -- found this little kitten.

And he corrupted and is hailing he was pumping nearly uses -- he found a little -- And he he named it fluffy and it was really incongruous this big guy doing that.

And what really occasional football player from across the room and he'll let him -- does it doesn't seem like that guy living with -- -- from.

We will get the -- what a great deal isn't really -- right as those good so I actually happened is that the -- development millennia from my cement references here.

America.

So that connect Tennessee Glenn you know your blog on -- -- -- yeah and that's forging delay aren't and it's.

-- sort of 100 was -- -- thing and you know our.

Mom what's going on I did I Justin -- great guy Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

You know he just he wrote to and directed and starring in this picture -- Don Johnson diction sums -- to do that.

Other man am I did I live in New York now -- order amid the the damage and I made via the move on government social -- ligaments so my Mitchell collide or -- -- -- man actually is really him hasn't -- straight to be back at home.

But as the entrepreneur wanted to allow you to -- you ride the subway the buses -- -- -- -- -- -- So you've got creditors should stay -- -- I don't musicians -- but he I think that he got in so deep there I mean you should have an opinion but I think he's in pretty -- And I think you do have an -- sometimes an outsized.

-- -- you know you know what I thought one I didn't vote for -- Obama but I didn't think it was awful.

At all but he got -- but I thought it was time.

On the discount to put a black French and White House shall.

Ask.

Yeah which -- to but I actually white faced going to be able to president I -- -- that extends the important thing I think a hundred.

-- I you know listen.

You know like.

I think I don't think he's been the worst I don't think I think he certainly has some shortcomings I think if you read confidence -- -- Stein's book you know.

That he was behind it seemed like he was behind the curve.

The learning curve but it but then again.

And you would think that the -- it is a learning curve I mean I'm sure there's a learning curve to to being a teacher or to being a bartender or anything.

So I am I I'm I'm I'm I'm more inclined to given the benefit of the doubt.

While on the go we fool me going forward I mean.

-- I none of dumb guy I don't think he's.

Like total income good friends with Sean Hannity but I don't think the president does.

And so I don't care whether animals -- but he's not been on and I don't think he's a socialist and I don't I don't pages about done all.

You know what socialism these -- -- -- say what socialism is socialism is is of vital to the and I have no insurance and I go to the emergency room and then we will have to pay for that's socialism.

What I don't understand why that's -- -- I mean if you're paying your own way.

That's not socialist and ally and I'll moderate and her I I did this because you don't -- -- -- -- on New Year's Eve when executed zero -- I was broke.

And I ended up -- -- -- end of -- hostile state twenty days looks in my and it is from that.

-- -- -- -- And in the twenty days I was in the hospital and I got out and pay the bill you got -- from.

And as so armored hybrid entrant Robert Iger appreciated very much right to but I understand the craziness of that now I understand it very nice dimensional honored to have -- -- program -- -- appreciate and I was -- a big fan and it's and I appreciate that you have them there when I got all of troubled.

And you've been opened down but that's what's the known guide -- so -- -- -- -- We'll all over again at that Tony -- of those already have caused some -- one.

So it's not like coming on the did you.

While it really is my you might you know my experience what I saw on the schools electoral apologize to our riches are -- -- this morning.

-- -- -- --