Eric Smith and Pedro Garcia: Two Men With Two Visions

Eric Smith and Pedro Garcia are crusaders. They both have taken on communities that need help. They have found success in other school systems and are trying to implement their visions elsewhere. However, I find their visions to be contrasting. While Mr. Smith would like to hold teachers accountable for failing students, Mr. Garcia would like to hold principals for the same. The way that the two are comparable is in the way that they communicate.

Eric Smith has been successful in North Carolina. He is hoping to bring this same success to Maryland’s fifth largest school system. Mr. Smith’s vision is to improve the scores of Hispanic and Black students. His motivation comes from trying to abolish the concept that students that come from difficult environments (ghettos, poverty, single-parent) do not perform well in school and should not be exposed to the same guidelines and academic opportunities. Mr. Smith’s communication style is very straightforward. He does not sensor his beliefs. For example, Mr. Smith stated to a teacher’s union “If the kids didn’t learn it, you didn’t teach it”. He is hard working and controlling. His approach to management is from the top down. He works very hard and expects all of those around him to do the same. Mr. Smith also raised some controversial questions regarding race. Smith attempted to break down and examine the data of Black and Hispanic students. He had been observing many minorities in under performing schools waste away in lax classrooms with under energized teachers with dull lesson plans. Smith did not care what the press would read into his intentions. He only wanted to show and prove that minorities were not making the grade in Maryland. He wanted to show that in fact there is a difference in academic achievement in regards to race.