Tweety and Sylvester

When my brother and I were youngsters, we used to wake up on Saturday morning and spend three or four hours glued to our TV watching cartoons.  I vividly recall an episode of “Tweety and Sylvester” in which Tweety is trapped in Sylvester’s  claws and is about to be eaten.  An angel-like replica of the infamous cat then suddenly appears on Sylvester’s  shoulder and implores him not to eat the little bird.  As Sylvester weakens, a devil-like replica appears on his other shoulder and urges him not to be a wimp and to eat Tweety.  Fortunately for Tweety, the forces of good triumphed over the forces of evil.  This episode of “Tweety and Sylvester” is a metaphor that has guided my thinking in my work with our public schools.  Whether it is trying to pass a school tax issue or addressing other pressing educational issues, what I’ve learned over the past 25 years is that taking the high road and appealing to the good that exists within everyone nearly always works.