I'm an entire season behind in my "24" viewing, and important higher education events kept me from watching the much-hyped season premiere last night. (My wife and I find it works best to put on a pot of coffee after the kids go to bed and watch six episodes at a clip on DVD, rather than tuning in each week, when any number of distractions can keep us away from the unfolding drama.)

But all the hype has me thinking: Would Jack Bauer, the coolest chap in the history of anti-terrorism, make a good school leader? I'm interested to hear your opinion.

A part of me thinks he would be mediocre at best, especially since in his world there are only 24-hours in a day. The folks at KIPP, for example, reportedly have 27-hour days.

But on the other hand, he's got a lot of the important qualities you'd want in the principal's office:

-- He knows how to work within a government bureaucracy. He has a respect for protocol, except when he decides that the ends justify the means. Put plainly, he doesn't follow stupid rules that get in the way of saving humanity during network sweeps weeks. He has chunks of ineffective bureaucrats in his stool. Give him a choice between saving lives and following a memo, and his best instincts kick in. I'm going to need a hacksaw.

-- He is sufficiently impatient. Damnit, Chloe, I don't have four minutes, I need those student transcripts now! Patch me through!

-- He knows how to fake his own death, something all school leaders (public and charter public) would find helpful when the comptroller's office shows up with the auditing teams.

-- He would provide good feedback in employee evaluations: The only reason you're conscious right now is because I don't feel like carrying you!

-- He'd bring great parent-school communications to the school. Tell me where the bomb is or I will kill your son.

-- His school would be the only one in New York that gets all of its standardized test scores back in the same school year in which they are taken. You are gonna tell me what I wanna know, it's just a matter of how much you want it to hurt.

-- His focus is on instruction. Kim, I want you to point the gun at his chest and pull the trigger now.

What do you think? Would you want to work at Jack Bauer's school? Would you send your kids there? TheChalkboard@nycsa.org.

UPDATE: Antonucci at Intercepts says he'd pay to be able to watch Jack Bauer negotiate a collective barginaing agreement with teachers. Another reader suggests via email:

Two examples why Jack Bauer would be an excellent school leader:

Exhibit A --
After a crisis of conscience stemming from 18 months as a prisoner in China ("I can't do this anymore"), all hope seemed lost. Then, the enemy detonates a nuke in downtown L.A., and Jack snaps back into action with renewed relentlessness. Like the best school leaders, Jack sees the devastation and uses it as a lever for action -- not self-pity, apathy, or paralysis.

Exhibit B --
Jack sees Curtis step out of line in a big way ("I can't let this animal live"), so he employs techniques similar to those used by outstanding school leaders: 1. never lose focus on the mission ("I know he killed your men, but he's our only link to the REAL enemy"); 2. be relentless and obsessive about the school rules since they are intentionally designed to lead to student success ("By order of the President of the United States, drop your weapon, NOW!"); and 3. follow-through on your promises so students understand that school rules have teeth ("BANG!").