Kathy Cox and the Million Dollar Lesson Plan

Kathy Cox appeared on the Fox TV show, "Are Youthey lacked the vision and conviction of a Kathy Cox.
Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" and failed to proveCox was there for the kids; she had committed to
that she is smarter than a fifth grader, despite beingdonate her earnings (it's demeaning to say to say
the first contestant to take home the one millionshe "won" the money) to three Georgia schools. A
dollar top prize.lesser person would have settled for the $500,000
Technically, she only proved that she is as smart as aand missed the chance to deliver a much more
fifth grader, since she answered no questions abovevaluable prize.
that grade level. But we know she's smarter,With the eyes of millions of young people on her, she
because she had a plan and a message, and theproclaimed with force and conviction, "DON'T DROP
courage to carry it through that her politicalOUT OF SCHOOL." The short-term gains associated
detractors in Georgia don't have the imagination towith dropping out pale in comparison to the huge
conceive or the guts to carry out.lifetime rewards of staying in school. Kathy Cox
Kathy Cox is the Superintendent of Schools for theeffectively paid $475,000 to say that -- the
State of Georgia. When word got out she would bedifference between the $500,000 "in the bank" and
on the show, she was publicly criticized; how foolish itthe guaranteed $25,000 she'd keep if she missed the
would be to risk her own professional reputation andquestion.
that of the state school system. After all, she wouldI'm convinced she came into the show with a Million
be representing by association 140,000 GeorgiaDollar Lesson Plan to teach us:
teachers. Georgia State Representative Rob Teilhet- Always do the best you can. That's all anyone can
(D - Smyrna) even ran advertising DURING THEask, and that's always enough.
SHOW criticizing Cox for appearing on TV while- Go for it. The worst that can happen is you might
problems persisted in classrooms.be wrong. So what?
Critics are so worried about never being wrong,- Finish what you start. That includes STAY IN
about showing vulnerability and appearing perfectSCHOOL.
they can't conceive their own purpose in humanity.That plan works even without the million dollar
Kathy can. Kathy Cox is a truly a Trouble Breaker,question. All through the show, we saw Kathy Cox
someone who goes for it and breaks past troublego for it and do the very best she could. Yet if she
because she knows she can. She understood exactlyever met a question she knew she couldn't answer,
what she could control on the show, what she couldshe would prefer to knowingly fail and go home sans
and couldn't do, and used that to inspire studentsmoney than drop out of school.
(and more than a few adults).Lucky for us all she made it to the top so more
We heard Kathy say more than a few times, "I'mpeople would listen to her message.
doing the best I can." Isn't that a great message forSome Georgia politicians don't know now lucky the
students? For us all? And Kathy Cox taught millionsPeach State is to have Kathy Cox as Superintendent
of people that it's OK to be wrong. She acceptedof Schools. In just one hour, she taught us all a
that she might miss a question and go homelesson that is worth far more than a million dollars to
empty-handed. She wasn't afraid to try and keepthe future of this country. From coast to coast and
trying.in every state, we're all richer today from her Million
With $500,000 "in the bank" she earned the right toDollar Lesson Plan.
deliver the Million Dollar Lesson. She was faced with aCopyright 2008 Paul Johnson.
decision other contestants had faced before, but