Shame on the Principal

Bennett Lieberman, principal of an East Harlem school encourages teachers to lower standards to meet lower expectations for students.

What was Principal Lieberman’s rationale?

"Most of our students come from the lowest third percentile in academic achievement, have difficult home lives, and struggle with life in general. They DO NOT have a similar upbringing nor a similar school experience to our experiences growing up."

That’s affirmative action-speak. It’s code for: “they are black and/or Hispanic and they ARE NOT very smart.”

I’m sure Principal Lieberman doesn’t see himself as a bigot.

The message to our children is clear. Why try? You’re a minority. You’re different. You can’t be expected to learn well. You cannot succeed without preferences. But, don’t worry. Affirmative action will lower the standards for you.

Keep sending that message and eventually it will stick.

At Boys High School, Brooklyn, NY, where I graduated in 1966, the students were all boys, all poor, and mostly black. I.S. Rosenman, acting principal of Boys High in 1966 would never have considered dumbing down the curriculum because his students were black, or poor. The teachers at Boys High treated students with respect and encouraged them to respect themselves. They set high standards and had high expectations.

Those were the good old days before the affirmative action bigotry kicked in.

Principal Bennett Lieberman could learn a few things from Principal I.S. Rosenman.