👶👶👶 I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had, by Tony Danza

I grew up watching Tony Danza in “Who’s the Boss”, and absolutely loved him; his delightful humor, and fetching charm, made him one of the most beloved characters of the 1980’s. He lends this charisma to his memoir on his year teaching in a Philadelphia inner-city high school.

I’ll admit I’d never pegged him for a writer; although he certainly didn’t embarrass himself, and wrote a fairly engaging book! This was the perfect book to listen to on Audible since he was the narrator, and read it just as he’d hope his audience to perceive it. Ever the entertainer, Danza always throws in some laughs along the way, while simultaneously voicing the challenges facing the public school system in our nation and emphasizing the immediate threat to our inner city schools. I came away knowing his heart was in the right place while filming this documentary and writing this book. I also believe that he was acutely aware that teaching for a mere 90 minutes a day for 1 school year, can’t even touch the level of dedication it takes to serve in this capacity for a lifetime.

Honestly, aside from the fact that Danza is a famous actor, this was really just another book about a first-year teacher and the difficulties faced within that framework. Thankfully, because of his fame, perhaps it’ll be read by more people, getting his important message across a more widespread audience: that the American public school system needs a dramatic overhaul; not just empty promises made by political hopefuls. I truly appreciated his effort both in the classroom and with pen in hand, and his story made me curious enough to want to watch some of the episodes.

Read 3/16/14