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FUNNYMAN: Cosby entertains
teachers.
Rod Searcy |
The cos was in rare form,
from the ankle bands of his cardinal-colored sweatpants
to the tip of his white Stanford baseball cap. And the
capacity audience in MemAud loved it.
“I was told in kindergarten that if I could spell
and do addition, subtraction, division and multiplication,
that’s all that was needed,” said comedian
Bill Cosby. “When I got to third grade I thought
that I was finished. Then grown people started adding
stuff—unnecessary stuff—like decimal points.”
In a benefit performance May 23 for the Stanford Teacher
Education Program (STEP), Cosby recounted his uneven
odyssey through the trials of geometry and subjunctive
clauses, calculus and Spanish modifiers. He also called
for better parenting and more preparation for teachers
heading out to challenge children who “don’t
know love.” He brought down the house and raked
in more than $1 million for STEP teachers who promise
to work in schools that serve low-income children. In
addition to his performance, the daylong event included
afternoon sessions for local educators and a dinner
hosted by TV news anchor Tom Brokaw.
“I was blown away by how the Bay Area community
came forward when they had an opportunity to make a
contribution,” says Deborah Stipek, dean of the
School of Education. The amount raised is significant,
says Pat Nicholson, associate dean for external relations.
“Unlike the School of Medicine or School of Engineering,
we get very few million-dollar chunks.”
The school will use the funds to provide Mary Forchic
Fellowships, named in honor of the sixth-grade teacher
whom Cosby says made a critical difference in his life.
This fall, the first 10 students will receive $20,000
each to defray the $30,000 cost of the STEP program,
which leads to a master’s degree and a teaching
credential.
Cosby telephoned the University president’s office
more than a year ago, offering to donate his comedic
services. Within minutes of that call, Stipek’s
phone was ringing. “President Hennessy called
and said, ‘You’ll never guess who I just
talked to,’” she recalls.
As plans for “Cosby on Campus” evolved,
workshops were organized to explore issues of literacy,
tutoring, classroom technology and the impact of race
on achievement. Steve Pinkston, one of a handful of
African-American teachers at San Jose’s all-male
Bellarmine College Preparatory, was one of 150 Bay Area
teachers, principals and community activists who were
invited to attend. “The piece that touched me
the most was a small-group discussion [about racism],
where members of my group were willing to let down their
guards, listen and honestly share with others,”
he says.
At the close of his performance, Cosby asked teachers
in the audience to stand. Then he called for students
to identify themselves. Then parents and professors.
“All right!” he said, heading for the wings.
“I got a standing ovation.” One that will
ripple through the Ed School for years to come. |
