Bill Cosby Interviews Deborah Kenny On Revolutionary Schools

VIDEO INTERVIEW: Click below to watch the interview at huffingtonpost.com.

 

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT: The below transcription is taken from oprah.com.

Bill Cosby: What are you doing that other schools aren't?

Deborah Kenny: Our country's approach to education has been wrong for decades. We're failing because we treat teachers like factory workers—they teach a prescribed curriculum from preselected books. The Harlem Village Academies are based on one core idea: belief in the power of teachers. We coach them weekly on how to make lessons more challenging and interesting for the kids and give them the freedom to run their own classrooms. That engenders passion and dedication, and in the end we can hold our teachers accountable for results.

BC: You get an estimated 500 applicants for one teacher opening. What makes you look at someone and say, "You're it!"?

DK: Of course teachers have to know their subjects inside and out. But the real question we want answered is: Do you believe that all children have the potential to learn? There are some educators who say things like "Some kids just won't make it" or "Let's go easy on these kids since they're poor or black and Hispanic." I don't want people with that attitude working in our school.

BC: Children come to Harlem Village Academies in the fifth grade but with first- and second-grade academic skills. How long does it take them to catch up?

DK: First, we should define "catching up." We don't use standardized tests as our measure because passing them is just the beginning. If you read the papers of children who live in high-income neighborhoods, you see they have a sophistication that goes well beyond the skills required to pass a basic test. We want our students to be sophisticated thinkers who are creative and able to study at an intense level. And it can take up to four years to get them to that level.

BC: Does it bother you that you've found a proven, successful approach to education, but other schools are not following the example?

DK: Yes, it does. There is not equality in America, and I think about it constantly. We have 14 million children living in poverty, and there is a complete disparity between the education they receive and that of a child in a high socioeconomic bracket. But we've learned many lessons over the years and are now figuring out how to share that knowledge with educators around the country. That's a critical first step to solving the education problem nationally.

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For Your Selfless Service To Our Country ... Thank You.

To the men and women of all colors, creeds, races, and religions, I say thank you.  Thank you for your sacrifice, resulting in physical wounds we can see and emotional wounds we can not see. Thank you for protecting us -- your family, loved ones, friends, and all Americans. Thank you for your courage and bravery.  Most of us will never have to face the horrors of war that give true meaning to those words: courage and bravery. And so, for your selfless service to our country, I can only offer two other words that I realize are woefully inadequate. Thank you.

Hello JELL-O! Bill Cosby and JELL-O Reunite to Bring about Smiles

"Reunited with strawberry, raspberry and blueberry, I am berry, berry, happy to be back working with JELL-O," said Bill Cosby.  "Still today, people come up to me and ask me about JELL-O pudding and gelatin, and as the great comedian Jack Benny said, ‘JELL-O Again!'"

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Hello JELL-O! Bill Cosby and JELL-O Reunite to Bring about Smiles
Brand launches most ambitious integrated campaign in years

GLENVIEW, IL – May 17, 2010 – For more than 30 years, Bill Cosby, one of America's most famous entertainers and JELL-O, one of America's most beloved brands, brought smiles, to both kids and adults, through some of the most iconic advertising spots of all time. JELL-O and Cosby are reuniting to launch the brand's most ambitious campaign in years – Hello JELL-O – to once again bring moments of happy to people, everyday, everywhere.

Now serving behind-the-scenes as an executive producer on the integrated effort, Mr. Cosby will help produce a spot within the new trademark focused campaign by selecting the best giggle in America through a nationwide open casting call staged in 22-cities throughout the summer. In addition, as the presenting sponsor, JELL-O will bring Mr. Cosby back to weekly broadcasts of his new all-family web show, "OBKB," a series of 10-minute webisodes in which Mr. Cosby interviews children bringing about smiles and giggles. "Reunited with strawberry, raspberry and blueberry, I am berry, berry, happy to be back working with JELL-O," said Bill Cosby. "Still today, people come up to me and ask me about JELL-O pudding and gelatin, and as the great comedian Jack Benny said, ‘JELL-O Again!'"

The new "Hello JELL-O" campaign is a multi-million dollar effort, featuring a refreshed JELL-O logo, showcasing a smile within the iconic "O" in JELL-O. The new logo will be incorporated through elements of the campaign, including TV, print, PR, online, out-of-home and in-store.

"Our research shows a happiness deficit in the country, with smiles on the decline," said Cindy Chen, Director of Marketing, JELL-O. "JELL-O has always had the inherent ability to make people smile and when paired with Mr. Cosby, the joy of JELL-O and the message of fun and smiles are amplified. We are thrilled to be teaming with Mr. Cosby again to bring about smiles in everyday lives."

Television and Print
Themed around bringing the happy to America, the television creative is shot in a fresh, bright, documentary style, features JELL-O ambassadors showing up in different towns and cities, interrupting the mundane and the everyday by handing out a little bit of joy in a cup. Driven by an infectious, modernized reworking of the classic JELL-O jingle, each spot lays it all out in simple fashion. Say Hello JELL-O. And say hello happy. Hand someone a cup of JELL-O gelatin or pudding and they can't help but smile.

The TV campaign, developed by Draft FCB Chicago, will run for 24 weeks and is comprised of three rotating spots. The first, a New York City-focused spot launches May 17 and JELL-O pudding creative will launch in early June. New print will hit stands on May 17 targeting national women's publications (monthlies and weeklies).

Bill Cosby Show: "OBKB"
Bill Cosby will host "OBKB," a web series presented by JELL-O. "OBKB" is the language of the Mush Mouth character from "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" and it is his expression for "OK." Anyone who is young at heart will giggle and jiggle like a bowl of JELL-O as "Bill-B Cosby-B" interviews kids between the ages of 6 and 11, mining spontaneous and unexpected comedy from their responses. The show will premiere summer 2010.

"Laughter brings out the child in all of us," said Bill Cosby. "'OBKB' helps to remind us, that even in difficult times, there is always time for a good giggle."

Public Relations
The Hello JELL-O "Give it a Giggle" Tour, which features a mobile recording studio, will be crisscrossing the country this summer in search of the best giggles. Consumers will be auditioning for an opportunity to have their giggle, selected by Mr. Cosby, featured in a national TV spot. To bring on the giggle, consumers will be able to view content from "OBKB." The tour kicks off the first week in June from Los Angeles and makes stops in 22 cities across the country through August. Consumers can also audition online by submitting their giggle at hellojelloaudition.com starting June 2. Public voting this fall will pare down giggles and the winning giggle, chosen by Mr. Cosby, will be included in a national TV spot. For tour details, visit facebook.com/JELL-O.

Digital
The new JELL-O Facebook page will engage consumers with a downloadable application, "Happy Appy," that will allow consumers to upload photos of themselves into the new JELL-O "O" logo and share happiness with their friends. In addition, there will be product news, JELL-O recipes and updates about the Hello JELL-O "Give it a Giggle" tour.

Out-of-Home
Reaching consumers during their everyday activities, the out-of-home campaign will kick-off May 17 and run through June. Hello JELL-O smiley face icons with tongue-in cheek sayings (Joy Vey!, Made you look! Ha! Ha! Meet me at the corner of giggle and snort!), will be stenciled in high-traffic locations, in five markets including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Los Angeles.

In-Store
JELL-O will have in-store displays in select stores, a national FSI dropping in June, and updated packaging featuring the new Hello JELL-O "O" logo.

For more information on Hello JELL-O visit facebook.com/JELL-O.

About Kraft Foods
With annual revenues of approximately $48 billion, Kraft Foods is a global powerhouse in snacks, confectionery and quick meals. The company is the world's second largest food company, making delicious products for billions of consumers in more than 160 countries. The portfolio includes 11 iconic brands with revenues exceeding $1 billion - Oreo, Nabisco and LU biscuits; Milka and Cadbury chocolates; Trident gum; Jacobs and Maxwell House coffees; Philadelphia cream cheeses; Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; and Oscar Mayer meats. Approximately 70 brands generate annual revenues of more than $100 million. Kraft Foods (www.kraftfoodscompany.com; NYSE: KFT) is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.

Finish this thought and...

My action plan for one of the shared ideas from Dr. Cosby's eulogy for Dr. Dorothy I. Height is...

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Civil rights leader Dr. Dorothy I. Height, who was the chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, passed away on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the age of 98.

A funeral service honoring her life and legacy was held on April 29, 2010.

Dr. Camille O. Cosby was one of three people asked to eulogize Dr. Height at the National Cathedral funeral service, along with President Obama.

Below is video from the funeral service. Dr. Cosby's eulogy starts at the 26:31 mark and finishes at the 31:28 mark.

Finish this thought and...

The idea that is meaningful to me from Dr. Camille O. Cosby's eulogy for Dr. Dorothy I. Height is...

------------------------------------------------------------------

Civil rights leader Dr. Dorothy I. Height, who was the chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, passed away on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the age of 98.

A funeral service honoring her life and legacy was held on April 29, 2010.

Dr. Camille O. Cosby was one of three people asked to eulogize Dr. Height at the National Cathedral funeral service, along with President Obama.

Below is video from the funeral service. Dr. Cosby's eulogy starts at the 26:31 mark and finishes at the 31:28 mark.

Dr. Camille O. Cosby Gives Eulogy at Funeral Service for Dorothy I. Height

Civil rights leader Dr. Dorothy I. Height, who was the chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, passed away on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the age of 98.

A funeral service honoring her life and legacy was held on April 29, 2010.

Dr. Camille O. Cosby was one of three people asked to eulogize Dr. Height at the National Cathedral funeral service, along with President Obama.

Below is video from the funeral service. Dr. Cosby's eulogy starts at the 26:31 mark and finishes at the 31:28 mark.




The text from Dr. Cosby's eulogy is included below.

Dorothy Irene Height
1912-2010

Dorothy Irene Height spent her life redefining "woman". Even as a teenager, she played basketball in her High School, long before girls or women's competitive sports were "acceptable".

From the beginning of her youth and throughout her life, Dr. Height was uncondoning about the indignities of fools, instead of the more tolerable female behavior to endure quietly.

Of course, we know about Dr. Height's deserving numerous awards. I was fortunate to watch her receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; give ever so many speeches; open the fabulous and historic National Council of Negro Women's building on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1995.... But she placed equal importance on enabling people to be respected, legally, worldwide. Indeed, Dr. Height gave her time and support to those in need, no matter how she was feeling.... Now that is a more familiar definition of "woman".

However, many times, rightfulness was not applied to her. But her clear determination and strong positive self-perception did not allow several men, who acted out egregious sexist behaviors, to push her to the background .... like they had successfully done and had been permitted to do to too many female civil rights activists in the 1950's and 60's.

Some public or prosperous people are not confident. They might be lacking in that deep knowing and feeling of self-value which, of course, for anyone, can be ultimately self destructive and hurtful to others. Dr. Height exuded self-value.... And she was definitely firm and assertive.... without losing "woman". She searched for, in her words, "the common ground" to solve problems. And yes, she dressed in beautiful colors with her trademark hats.... No matter where she was.

She had an interesting way of releasing a person from her personal space...for example, she once told someone "You will not be moving into the future with me".

And, yes, she could laugh. I have an indelible memory of her laughter, with rivers of tears on her face, as she watched my friend, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, dunk me, repeatedly, in a swimming pool.... And my husband's comedic comments about her from the stage.... Oh, how those words made her laugh.

I loved her; my husband and I loved her. We sent flowers to her, quite often. I was told they made her smile.... Which is what we wanted to accomplish.... To surround her with nature's beauties while she was immersed in fighting against our nation's evil isms: racism, sexism, classism and ageism.

And speaking of ageism, when she became an elder, Dr. Height again refused to be pushed into the background, just as she had done in the 1950's and 60's, in her counteraction to sexism. Dr. Height showed us that our lives are always worthy and that a long life must be acknowledged and honored.... And that our brains can turn off at any age.

At age 92, she said to me that she has never stopped learning. I shall always hold on to that and all that she has taught me.

Thank you
Dr. Camille O. Cosby
April 29, 2010

Hey, Hey, Hey! It’s Fat Albert… On iTunes!

FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS™ NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES

Classic Media, a global media company with a portfolio of some of the world's leading entertainment brands, today announced the first season of Fat Albert and the Cosby kids™, the popular television series created by and starring Bill Cosby, is available for purchase on the iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com).

Fat Albert and the Cosby kids is one of the longest running favorites of Saturday Morning TV in U.S. history. Following its debut on CBS in 1972, the show ran for twelve years with consistently high ratings, and was re-syndicated in 1989.

Bill Cosby, one of the world's most beloved comedians and celebrities, developed Fat Albert and the Cosby kids based on his experiences growing up in Philadelphia, with the purpose of showing kids the excitement and challenges of growing up in America, and that if you put your imagination to work, you can achieve anything. Each episode combines entertainment with education to tackle the issues—such as bullying, lying, stealing, self-esteem, peer pressure, among others—that kids face growing up.

"Hopefully people who have never sampled Fat Albert will follow the enthusiasm of positive entertainment of their predecessors," said Bill Cosby. "The stories are very effective."

Fat Albert and the Cosby kids can be found under "TV Shows" within both the "Animation" and "Classic" genres. Season 1 (36 episodes) is currently available for $29.99 and each individual episode can be purchased for $1.99.


About Fat Albert
Comin' at you with music and fun! One of America's longest running Saturday Morning TV cartoons, Fat Albert and the Cosby kids™ follows the adventures of a group of resourceful and unpredictable city kids growing up in the 1970s. The series features daily life lessons as they're learned by Fat Albert and his friends, Weird Harold, Rudy, Dumb Donald, Russell, Bucky and Mushmouth. Renowned comedian Bill Cosby created these unforgettable characters based on his own childhood experiences. And if you're not careful, you may learn something before it's done!

To view and download key art files from Fat Albert and the Cosby kids, visit http://www.classicmedia.tv/pr/fatalbert/heyheyhey.html


About Classic Media
Classic Media™, one of the world's largest independent entertainment companies, is a leader in reinventing the classics of yesterday and creating the entertainment classics of tomorrow. The Company owns and manages a globally-recognized portfolio of well-known family and pop-culture entertainment brands, including Casper the Friendly Ghost®, Where's Waldo?®, The Lone Ranger®, Lassie®, Postman Pat®, and new global brands Tinga Tinga Tales® and Guess with Jess®. Big Idea, a member of the Classic Media family, is the leading faith-based studio and producer of children's programming, including the best-selling animated series, VeggieTales®. More than 3,600 hours of Classic Media programming is distributed in more than 170 territories worldwide and showcased in multiple formats, including TV, film, home video, consumer products, publishing, digital, and music.

Finish this thought...

A child may be too embarrassed to talk about being bullied and may feel that reporting it makes her/him look like a wimp or a snitch.

So we need to make kids understand that the truth is important and that we will help them. We don't want kids to feel we're not going to do anything about their pain.

Steps parents need to take if they suspect their child is being bullied include ...