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Despite such daunting hurdles, in a few of the roughest districts a handful of schools have managed to become islands of excellence. They did so primarily by establishing high expectations and by getting across the conviction that their kids can and will meet those expectations. No less vital to their success, in almost every case, has been a bold, enduring principal -- if not a Joe Clark, then a different kind of strong personality with his or her own talents as manager and leader. The best of these leaders are able to maintain or restore order without abandoning the students who are in trouble. They approach their staffs, students, parents and communities with a cooperative rather than a confrontational style. "Every good school has a good principal," insists William Kristol, chief of staff for Secretary Bennett. "He can set the general tone, the spirit, the ethos if you will, of the school. He can give it a sense of order, enthusiasm for learning and high expectations."
Establishing clear rules is priority No. 1 for many of these principals. Albert Holland, who turned Jeremiah E. Burke High in Boston from one of the city's most dangerous schools into what District Superintendent Charles Gibbons calls an "absolute jewel," began with this set of rules: "In class on time; no hats; no Walkman in school; a student roaming the corridors without a pass is written up immediately and given a warning." His neighbor, Principal O'Neill at Lewenberg, set up equally simple standards. "The first order was to maintain control of the hallways, so we put in quiet, single- filing lines. Students go to their lockers at the beginning of the day. An assignment left in a locker is a missed assignment. Bathroom passes are issued only during the first ten minutes of class."
In Chicago, Marva Collins has brought order and learning -- and national acclaim -- to Westside Preparatory School with her own brand of rules. Chewing gum is out: "If they insist on chewing gum, we have them do a paper on the etymology of the word gum." Any cocky youngster who walks into Westside with a defiant swagger, or wearing gang jewelry, gets special treatment: "I put my arm on their shoulder and say, 'Darling, is your hip broken?' Or, 'You're going to have to take out that earring.' "
The second priority is curriculum, with the teachers to make it work. Maria Tostado, principal of Los Angeles' Garfield High, which twelve years ago had sunk to the brink of losing its accreditation, helps maintain the place as a scholar factory by mixing rules with demanding classes: "We phased out the bonehead courses and put in more advanced, challenging courses." Garfield now - boasts 15 advanced-placement teachers in subjects such as calculus and physics. This year 370 students are taking the advanced-placement exams for college credit.
Among the faculty who motivate the high achievers is Jaime Escalante, a math instructor whom Tostado praises as a "teaching genius." He is all of that -- a showman, math scholar, father figure and cheerleader. Each Escalante class starts with warm-up music (We Will Rock You) and hand clapping as pupils ceremonially drop yesterday's homework into a basket. Advanced-placement students proudly wear T shirts and satin jackets proclaiming their membership in the elite, college-bound corps. During lectures, Escalante bounces around the room, challenging, explaining, applauding.