Music in the Halls: The Heart and Heartbreak of Teaching at a High-Poverty School in Washington, DC

by Bernard Jankowski

Through vignettes, essays, snapshots, portraits, and poems, Music in the Halls reveals the inner workings of a high-poverty District of Columbia Public School. In it, Jankowski brings to light the visceral and emotional nature of childhood poverty and trauma and how it not only impacts a student' s ability to learn but also how it restricts their ability to live a full life. Uncovering the interwoven worlds of children and their parents, teachers and administrators, and the DCPS bureaucracy— all residing in close proximity to the nation' s capital— Music in the Halls is not simply a tale of hard knocks; it is an exploration of how one man' s understanding and compassion can be transformed and expanded to encompass and embrace this world.

Includes Foreword by Dr. Dwayne E. Ham, Sr. Adjunct Professor, Bowie State University and an Epilogue from Dr. Marja Humphrey, Assistant Professor, School Counseling, Bowie State University.

Genres: Education

116 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2024

Reviews

[Alyce Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this in a day. It is a hard listen, but some of these kiddos mentioned are my kiddos, too. I taught at this elementary school’s feeder middle school from 2014-2023, and with this being the stories from 2011-2015, some of these stories overlap with mine. Our students deserve so much more from school systems. They are a home away from home, some feel like it is their home. We have to do better. 🤍

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually get hesitant to read accounts of white people going into POC spaces due to my personal distaste for white savior narratives. However, decided to give this a try and ended up reading it all in one sitting. A detail I liked was that Mr. J wasn’t self pitying in his reflection on himself as a privileged, educated white in this Title 1 space or pitying of the children he served. Getting straight to the facts about the environmental conditions of the populous and how from above and below the school system was getting screwed over with poor policy and leadership. Named names. Gave honest critiques about specific programs implemented by politicians that affected the school staff and children.
In this way, he gave a well-rounded insight to how the systems all connect to perpetuate the decline in quality education for the kids in these schools. The format of small vignettes allowed snapshots of his experiences to be expressed in a comprehensive yet concise way. Took off a star because I did feel that he could’ve been more expressive in giving his personal opinions on the issues the public teachers faced. There was a pattern of providing other teachers’ unfiltered thoughts but seemingly had more restraint in his own. Overall, this book gave great insight for such a quick read. Would definitely recommend giving it a read.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written non fiction account of a male, white teacher's 5 year experience teaching in a DC Public Elementary School. Hard to read at times because it is so evident how much this man cares about the children ~ the poverty, violence and chaos in their lives. This author wrote from his heart.

There is a definite emotional and subsequent physical toll to working in high crime, impoverished areas. The author is direct about this. "More than one hundred different teachers walked in and then out of our elementary school doors during my five years and only four of us had lasted. Figure that one out. What does that have to say about DCPS?" He describes the influx of Charter School children around mid October after their fees had been paid, but they have been labeled as difficult. He says his assumptions regarding race and education were immediately challenged. "Any belief I had was held under the blazing light of poverty. Poverty, childhood trauma, hunger, PTSD, family instability, and economic stress weave through all levels of the school. These elements of poverty profoundly affect both a teacher's ability to effectively teach and a child's capacity to learn and grow."

His conclusion was that "we must enact policies that embrace the whole child and then follow through on our commitments to children with fidelity. By taking a bottom up approach that provides adequate social services as well as necessary instructional interventions, we can ensure that children who need the most support receive the help they need. By starting with these children, these will be fewer behavioral issues, and the rest of the school will be able to function more smoothly, being empowered to moved beyond mere survival and create a true growth-oriented environment."

Why doesn't management EVER listen to the teachers?

It took me longer than usual to read this as I knew some of the educators involved in DC Public Schools. I especially loved them. They were really caring individuals. I had to put this book down at times and take a break.

I remember when Michelle Rhee swooped into DC to "right" the schools there. There was a big hiring spree with hefty salaries for new principals that could take on this task and she took two of our children's former beloved principals - one to a middle school (he was murdered a few years later) and one to a high school (he was let go after 6 years due to test scores and died prematurely 5 years later.)

I've taken classes in L'Enfant Plaza several blocks away from Amidon Elementary and attended Mass at a Catholic Church nearby this location. I distinctly remember walking down towards the waterfront seafood market during Lent years ago. I was on my lunchbreak from a class and was hoping to pick up carryout during the nice spring weather. But, I didn't feel safe at one point and turned around crossing the street to get away from an approaching stalker.

I googled the author after I finished the book and found a local book event recording from Politics & Prose. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/3JdqgMCy...
If you want to visually see how much these teachers care about the children, watch Bernard Jankowski read the segment from his book entitled, "All in A Day's Work" about 26 minutes in. These people lose sleep over these children. As a nation, we must do better to address childhood poverty.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be mandatory reading for anyone setting policy that impacts K-12 schools. It is unconscionable what takes place at this school—and others I am sure—where administrators place test scores over the underlying challenges that need to be addressed in order for children to obtain a quality education.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so well written. You have a caring teacher who goes to high poverty school and does an amazing job

[Pam Bent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this insightful, educational, and thoughtful book about our public education system as seen by a gifted and inspirational teacher. I also recommend that you buy extra copies to share with others. As a Nation, we need to find ways to solve the problems with the system. It is heartbreaking when any child fails to thrive as a student.