Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Education / Media / Politics Revisiting the Garcia Acolytes
Posted by Matt Pulle on Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 3:24 PM
With the quiet, ignoble demise of Pedro Garcia, who came to Nashville brimming with bluster and confidence only to become an object of scorn and ridicule, it's hard to believe a few people really did welcome him as a liberator. One particularly dim-witted (if rather handsome) writer nearly dislocated his shoulder patting the smug schools director on the back in Garcia's early years. After the jump we'll give you some of his less-than-prescient characterizations:
“Only two years after arriving in Nashville from Corona-Norco, Calif., where he served as the school superintendent, Garcia has ushered dramatic change, asserting his leadership before a captive city.”
“It's too early to predict whether Garcia is the messiah people want him to be, but he's certainly not sitting around, appointing study committees and waiting for suggestions. Garcia, a rabid moviegoer, is a veritable action here, quickly sizing up problems and indiscriminately tackling them.”
“Part of Garcia's style is to call it like he sees it.”
“The tall, distinctive Garcia has become a Nashville celebrity, glad-handling at social functions, appearing on talk shows and giving well-attended luncheon speeches.”
“Students ask for his autograph, while gushing business leaders fawn over him like schoolgirls.”
“While the breadth, depth and chutzpah of Garcia's initiatives have startled some, nobody expected him to tinker around the margins.”
“Somehow Garcia still has enough energy for the arts. Every week, he takes lessons in voice and conga drums.”
“Garcia has engendered confidence within the community that public education doesn't have to mean mismanagement, inequity and poor results.”
“While some describe Garcia as a visionary, he is actually a rather simple leader with an old-fashioned approach to education.”
“Garcia plans to pull public education in Nashville out of an almost eternal slump.”
OK. You get the point. But if for some odd reason you want to revisit more of this writer's short-sighted punditry—and I would really, really, really, prefer if you did not—then click here. Oh, still with us. Fine. You win. Click here and here .
Comments (9)
Showing 1-9 of 9
