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Madeline Cartwright Discusses Her Career as a Principal.

Elementary school principal Madeline Cartwright took over the run-down Blaine Elementary School in a run-down, drug-infested neighborhood in North Philadelphia and turned it into a school that works. One of her first acts when she took over the school was to get down on her hands and knees and scrub the foul-smelling children's bathroom. Cartwright got parents involved in the school, made it a safe place for the children to learn, brought up test scores and attendance, and became the subject of a a 1990 New York Times Magazine cover story: "Hope in Hell's Classroom." Now she's written her own story of Blaine Elementary School: "For the Children: Lessons from a Visionary Principal." (Doubleday).

22:41
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Other segments from the episode on September 7, 1993

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, September 7, 1993: Interview with Madeline Cartwright; Interview with Leslea Newman and Michael Willhoite; Review of William Gibson's novel "Virtual Light."
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16:31

Authors of Books about Children with Gay Parents.

Terry talks with two authors of children books which were once part of the reading list for the Rainbow curriculum in the New York Public schools. The two books were controversial, and removed from the list, because they dealt with children of gay parents. Leslea (Les-LEE-ah) Newman is the author of "Heather has Two Mommies," and Michael Willhoite wrote "Daddy's Roommate." (Both books are published by Alyson Publishers, Boston, Mass).

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47:54

Madeline Cartwright and Philadelphia Public Schools.

Madeline Cartwright worked as a teacher in Philadelphia public schools from 1959 to 1978, before moving into administration. Currently she is the principal at Blaine Elementary School, in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia, and she has spent the last five years transforming Blaine from a typical low-income school into a community that sparkles. Cartwright's staff has nominated her for the John N. Patterson Award for Excellence in Public Education. Cartwright joins the show to discuss the problems that are facing Philadelphia schools and her approach to solving them.

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Longtime 'Fresh Air' contributor Dave Davies signs off (sort of)

After 22 years of interviews, longtime Fresh Air contributor and fill-in host Dave Davies is cutting back on his workload.

For years Davies has contributed at least one interview a week to Fresh Air, and oftentimes more — especially when the topics concern sports, investigative journalism or history.

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