Some collective nouns bring collective hope to a community, while others offer collective amusement. And still others invite collective ire. For inspiring example, there is a pride of lions and an exaltation of larks, but it's not easy to suppress a smile when some collective nouns come into play, as in this story from across the pond:
It seems that one evening four scholarly dons were taking a stroll down a street in Oxford. As it happened, all were expert philologists, as members of the university's English department should be. After sharing their admiration for some phrases, like a covey of quail, or an unkindness of ravens, or a prickle of porcupines, they happened to pass four ladies of the evening plying their trade. One of the gentlemen scholars asked his fellows, "How would you describe a group like that?" The first suggested "a jam of tarts." The second proposed "a flourish of strumpets." The third came up with "an essay of trollops." While the fourth and most thoughtful and learned of them all closed the discussion definitively when he said, "I wish that you gentlemen would consider an anthology of pros."
All of which may bring bring Alert and Amused Reader in his own roundabout way to a front-page story in Thursday's edition of Arkansas' Newspaper bearing the headline "16 charter schools are aims, state told/Letters seek 6 for LR area; 4 for PB." Not to mention other sites like Bentonville, McGehee, Dermott, Paron, Fort Smith and Weiner.
It's no trick to write a one-page letter announcing any group's intentions to start an open-enrollment charter school in this state. The trick is to fulfill that group's contract with the state by delivering on what it promised--a quality education according to the different, detailed specifications outlined in that highly enforceable covenant. If it doesn't live up to its word, it's out of business. Which may be the most striking--and hopeful--difference between a charter school and its more traditional counterpart, the kind of school that keeps on failing its students just about forever without suffering any penalty. They're the shame of public education in Arkansas, and should no longer be tolerated by a public that has put up with them--and paid for them--entirely, shamefully, disgracefully too long.
What a contrast with the kind of charter schools that have proven a credit to their community and state. Shawn Toranto, CEO of the Einstein Group Inc., which runs four charter schools in New Orleans where much of the crumbling old educational system was washed away by its great flood, says charter schools can prove a boon in Arkansas just as they have benefited Louisiana--and why not? 'Tis an ill flood that bears no good--and fails to cleanse the land in the end. Call it urban renewal that works, unlike the kind of social engineering that doesn't.
Shawn Toranto envisions an Einstein charter school in central Arkansas that would focus on science, technology and math (as in eStem). "We're in love with y'all's community and the people," she says. "We're looking forward hopefully to a partnership and bringing a wonderful community school to one of the areas of Little Rock that provides a competitive education in a responsive and respectful school environment."
No doubt the lady is in sales--you can almost hear the music to "76 Trombones" as she comes by--but she's also got a good product to sell. And she doesn't seem the least afraid of competition, unlike the stodgy forces of the status forever quo who are always making excuses instead of real progress. And hers is only one of the outfits who seem interested in the wide-open market for quality in the very center of the state. The long list of suitors knocking at Little Rock's door with hopes of establishing a charter school in Arkansas' capital city testifies to what a rich market for education this state can be, and in many respects already is.
From the high-flying Aviate Through Knowledge to Zeal Ministries, this state and its capital seem to offer an irresistible attraction for ambitious educators who seem to be asking for no more than a decent chance to prove themselves. They've only begun to educate, and it'll be interesting to see how many, if any, stay the course. For education is no quick or simple process.
All of us in Arkansas should welcome their interest but at the same time keep a wary eye out for charlatans out to take us. The traditional educational establishment already has quite enough of those, thank you. But all these letters of interest represent a seedbed of hope.
Let's see how the crop turns out and then judge. For the proof's in the pudding, not how good the menu may sound.
------------v------------
Paul Greenberg is the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Editorial on 03/15/2017