60 Minutes: Marva Collins 1995 Part 1

Summary

Sixteen years ago, a story about Marva Collins, a Chicago teacher who founded Westside Prep, claimed inner-city children could excel academically with love, hard work, and no-nonsense teaching. Author Charles Murray challenged these claims in 'The Bell Curve.' This follow-up traces 33 of 34 students, who have achieved success in various fields, disproving Murray's skepticism and highlighting the power of belief and education.

Takeaways

• 📚 Sixteen years ago, a story was broadcast about Marva Collins, a Chicago teacher who started her own elementary school, Westside Prep.
• 🏫 Marva Collins emphasized that with love, hard work, and no-nonsense teaching, inner-city children could compete academically with anyone.
• ❓ Charles Murray, author of 'The Bell Curve,' claimed that Marva's anecdotes about her students' success were too good to be true and lacked hard evidence.
• 🔍 The original story was revisited to investigate Murray's allegations by tracing 33 of the 34 original students from Westside Prep.
• 📖 Westside Prep focused on basic education with a strong emphasis on literature and composition, with no frills and a high level of teacher engagement.
• 🗣️ The revisited students, including Christopher Stubblefield, Erica McCoy, and others, had gone on to successful careers and higher education.
• 👨‍🏫 Many former students were inspired by Marva Collins to become teachers, attributing their confidence and success to her influence.
• 📘 Students from Westside Prep were noted for their advanced literary knowledge, including authors like Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Dante Alighieri.
• 🎓 The revisited alumni shared stories of academic and professional achievements, often reflecting on the lasting impact of Collins' teachings.
• 🌟 Marva Collins continues to spread her educational methods through training teachers and seminars, advocating that every child is teachable.

Q & A

Who is Marva Collins?

Marva Collins was a Chicago teacher who started her own elementary school, Westside Prep, on the city's Westside.

What was Marva Collins' educational philosophy?

Marva Collins believed that with love, hard work, and no-nonsense teaching, inner-city children could compete academically with anyone.

What did Charles Murray claim about Marva Collins' success stories?

Charles Murray claimed in his book 'The Bell Curve' that Marva Collins' celebrated anecdotes about her students were too good to be true and that there was no hard evidence of her success.

What did the news team decide to do in response to Charles Murray's claims?

The news team decided to investigate and verify the success of Marva Collins' former students.

What were the conditions like at Westside Prep when it was first visited?

Westside Prep was located in an area with significant urban blight, but the school itself emphasized basic education, literature, and composition, with no teacher breaks or desks, and Marva Collins was actively involved in teaching all day.

What did the students at Westside Prep achieve under Marva Collins' guidance?

The students at Westside Prep were alert, challenged, and able to articulate their favorite authors, ranging from Shakespeare to Dante Alighieri, demonstrating a high level of academic engagement.

What were some of the career outcomes of the students from the class of 1979?

The students from the class of 1979 pursued various successful careers, including becoming teachers, law students, a preschool teacher, a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, and an operations manager.

How did Marva Collins' teaching methods impact her students personally?

Marva Collins' methods, which included personal affirmations and high expectations, instilled confidence and a sense of brilliance in her students, which many carried into their future endeavors.

What was Charles Murray's argument about the long-term academic achievements of Marva Collins' students?

Charles Murray argued that claims of long-term academic achievement would typically fade as the students grew up.

How did Marva Collins respond to the belief that some children have learning disabilities?

Marva Collins countered the belief by demonstrating that children who knew rap songs by heart could also learn complex texts like the Canterbury Tales, emphasizing that every child is teachable.