The First Real Sign of Change: The Book-Of-The-Month

GothamSchools showed a picture of the new chancellor holding a copy of the "Book of the Month" I Will Make Miracles (they even linked to it on Amazon, which was cool). The picture immediately impressed me as the first real sign of change: The Chancellor of New York City's Schools advertising  a "Book of the Month". That's a new.

I couldn't find any evidence that the previous schools chancellors under Michael R. Bloomberg ever had a "Book of the Month". A Google search about Joel Klein and "Book of the Month" shows only some stuff about himself. A similar search about Cathie Black shows nothing about a book at all. A search fro Shael Polakow-Suransky (acting chancellor for ten days) and "Book of the Month" shows an announcement o PS 102's website about what their "Book of the Month" was a long time ago -as well as an announcement that Shael Polakow-Suransky will be visiting. And a search on Dennis Walcott and "Book of the Month" shows anything but a city-wide Book of the Month. Finally, a search for "Book of the Month" on the NYCDoE website reveals nothing more than a bunch of schools' Books of the Month from years past. It doesn't seem as though it's ever been done.

A school leader announcing the "Book of the Month" to the press. What a novel idea.

And a strongly symbolic sign of change.

That's the first sign of change. The second? As Philissa Cramer writes:

"...first “book of the month” for her administration: “I Will Make Miracles,” a children’s book that she had adapted with a piece of tape to be called “We Will Make Miracles.”

Yeah. She changed the "I" to "We". I know, I know. The symbolism isn't as strong. But it's still (totally cool) symbolic of a change in tone.