Albany Prep Charter School Principal Todd McKee marks the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday by offering some blunt assessments about some of the hits he and his school have taken from critics. He describes receiving harassing phone calls and letters, and public rudeness from those who want the Albany school system to continue plodding along the way it always has for kids who deserve better (with as little disruption as possible to the lives of the adults.)

Blogging about this powerful op-ed piece doesn't come close to doing it justice. Read the whole thing. McKee compares the shallowness of charter school critics to problems King himself described in his legendary 1963 "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

King wrote: "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will."

Notes McKee:

Though I understand there are deep-seated feelings that have fueled the debate over charter schools, I cannot accept that some choose to perceive me, or the school I represent, as an enemy of public education.

I have devoted my life to being an educator. Over the course of my career, I have taught in some of the toughest urban public schools in Seattle and California, working side by side with devoted, effective public school teachers and administrators who performed their jobs with commitment and pride. I have taught in Japan and served as principal of an International Baccalaureate school in Africa, working with students from many different countries and walks of life.

My experiences in schools here and abroad have confirmed for me a simple, universal truth.

For children to be able to achieve their greatest potential, they need a safe, orderly place to learn and a curriculum that challenges them to grow. The two elements of this "truth" -- safe learning environments and academic rigor -- are intertwined. One should not exist without the other. In Albany, however, these elements are at the center of an educational crisis that is directly impacting the lives of the city's children.

Again, give it a read. McKee argues that we can do better than the status quo and urges folks to move beyond a "shallow understanding" that stands in the way of creating better public schooling options for kids.

This time of year can be emotional for many people involved in school reform. Politicians love to use the holiday to call for drastic measures for schools (that seldom ever take root.) For most everyone involved in this stuff (across the political spectrum) King's dream of truly equal opportunity for ALL kids, regardless of their skin color and economic status, is a driving force. The issue of better schools and integration is a tricky one, and charter schools obviously play an important part in the discussion. See stories here, and here, and here.

UPDATE: The UFT's blog, EdWize, has an MLK post from a Bronx chapter leader here.