Kathy Cox and the Million Dollar Lesson Plan

Kathy Cox appeared on the Fox TV show, "Areto deliver the Million Dollar Lesson. She was faced
You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" and failed towith a decision other contestants had faced
prove that she is smarter than a fifth grader,before, but they lacked the vision and conviction
despite being the first contestant to take homeof a Kathy Cox. Cox was there for the kids; she
the one million dollar top prize.had committed to donate her earnings (it's
Technically, she only proved that she is as smartdemeaning to say to say she "won" the money)
as a fifth grader, since she answered noto three Georgia schools. A lesser person would
questions above that grade level. But we knowhave settled for the $500,000 and missed the
she's smarter, because she had a plan and achance to deliver a much more valuable prize.
message, and the courage to carry it throughWith the eyes of millions of young people on her,
that her political detractors in Georgia don't haveshe proclaimed with force and conviction, "DON'T
the imagination to conceive or the guts to carryDROP OUT OF SCHOOL." The short-term gains
out.associated with dropping out pale in comparison to
Kathy Cox is the Superintendent of Schools forthe huge lifetime rewards of staying in school.
the State of Georgia. When word got out sheKathy Cox effectively paid $475,000 to say that
would be on the show, she was publicly criticized;-- the difference between the $500,000 "in the
how foolish it would be to risk her ownbank" and the guaranteed $25,000 she'd keep if
professional reputation and that of the stateshe missed the question.
school system. After all, she would beI'm convinced she came into the show with a
representing by association 140,000 GeorgiaMillion Dollar Lesson Plan to teach us:
teachers. Georgia State Representative Rob- Always do the best you can. That's all anyone
Teilhet (D - Smyrna) even ran advertisingcan ask, and that's always enough.
DURING THE SHOW criticizing Cox for appearing- Go for it. The worst that can happen is you
on TV while problems persisted in classrooms.might 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 inThat plan works even without the million dollar
humanity. Kathy can. Kathy Cox is a truly aquestion. All through the show, we saw Kathy
Trouble Breaker, someone who goes for it andCox go for it and do the very best she could. Yet
breaks past trouble because she knows she can.if she ever met a question she knew she couldn't
She understood exactly what she could control onanswer, she would prefer to knowingly fail and go
the show, what she could and couldn't do, andhome sans money than drop out of school.
used that to inspire students (and more than aLucky for us all she made it to the top so more
few adults).people would listen to her message.
We heard Kathy say more than a few times, "I'mSome Georgia politicians don't know now lucky
doing the best I can." Isn't that a great messagethe Peach State is to have Kathy Cox as
for students? For us all? And Kathy Cox taughtSuperintendent of Schools. In just one hour, she
millions of people that it's OK to be wrong. Shetaught us all a lesson that is worth far more than
accepted that she might miss a question and goa million dollars to the future of this country. From
home empty-handed. She wasn't afraid to try andcoast to coast and in every state, we're all richer
keep trying.today from her Million Dollar Lesson Plan.
With $500,000 "in the bank" she earned the rightCopyright 2008 Paul Johnson.