Batory, Joseph P. (1999). Yo! Joey!: The Unique Memoirs of an Unusual School Superintendent. Reviewed by Helen C. Sobehart, Duquesne University

	Batory, Joseph P. (1999). Yo! Joey!: The Unique Memoirs of an Unusual School Superintendent. Philadelphia, PA: Leadership Press. 149 pp. $11.95       ISBN 0-9679216-0-0 Reviewed by Helen C. Sobehart, Duquesne University December 20, 2001 Joe Batory has two things that every superintendent should have: catharsis and Rocco. I'll return to Rocco later. In his book Yo! Joey! The Unique Memoirs of an Unusual School Superintendent, Joe Batory uses a kind of "stream of consciousness" approach to describe his fifteen years as Superintendent of the Upper Darby School System just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In brief, rapid-fire chapters, Batory describes how he barged his way through the onslots of the superintendency with the shotgun precision and power of Franco Harris and Mean Joe Green combined. (Sorry Joe—I couldn't resist the Steeler vs. Eagles metaphor!) Many superintendents will be jealous that Joe Batory has had this venue for the release of frustrated energy built up during the challenges, absurdities, and even dangers of the job performed by public education's CEOs. Although I think Joe would currently be enjoying a satisfying retirement under any circumstance, because of his feelings about what he has accomplished on behalf of students, it must be twice as sweet because he's had a chance to press his experiences into paper and into the imaginations of his readers. After giving a brief history of his tough upbringing in South Philly and his not so easy entrance into the teaching profession, Batory provides non-sequential highlights of his superintendent years through chapters with evocative titles such as "My Very Own Deep Throat," "The Assassination Plot," "The Lady in Red," "The Nazi Menace," and "The Mad Bomber." The best part is that the stories behind the evocative titles are more intriguing than the titles themselves, and written in a conversational style which keeps you reading, even though at times you may feel like shaking him and saying "Oh Puh-lease!" as he sprinkles the accounts liberally with self congratulations. Here are just a few of the days in the life of a typical superintendent, which Joe Batory vividly paints. First, there is the accidentally found note, taken seriously by law enforcement and even the FBI, which threatens to blow up his middle school in two weeks. He describes the enormous expenditure of money and energy to investigate the case and protect the school, all locally driven since the FBI wouldn't provide direct support. The reader can almost feel clocks ticking and hearts beating as Batory and his colleagues await the designated moment for the bomb to explode. The capstone of the story, fortunately, is not a bomb explosion. As is often the case for superintendents, it has an after taste of irony. After the physical danger has passed, there is a mound of legal and media hype reeled against Batory for proposing to expel the student who was eventually found to be the author of the note. Since the students ultimately said, "I didn't mean any harm," lawyers and reporters proclaimed Batory to be too harsh in his proposed discipline. Then there were the death threats. There was an immediate one in the form of a drug addict with a twelve-inch knife who walked into the school after hours. There was also a long-term one in the form of an Arian nation leader who warned Batory, "We know where you live!" This threat was in response to Batory's proposed expulsion hearings for several "skin head" students who had beaten up several other students on school grounds. Joe Batory also describes incidents which were less dangerous physically, but nevertheless deadly in their own way. These included threats from the Howard Stern media machine which publicly disagreed with Batory's discipline of a student ("back off before we deliver you a raft of shit", p. 86), and professional "advice" from politicians such as, "Politics is all about bein' on the power train, boy...you either get on the train or you get buried." This bit of advice came after Batory had the audacity on many occasions to publicly attack the politicians stance on such issues as school funding, equity and testing. The latter threat was even backed up by an unannounced visit from an auditor investigating Batory's credentials. Little did the unsuspecting would-be intimidator know that he, instead, would be running from Batory's office. Joe simply used the tactics he espouses in the chapter entitled, "When You Need Something Done, Act Like a Maniac." I suspect that he attended the Rambo School for Superintendent Training. There are other equally fascinating stories which he tells, but the point to be made is that, from my point of view as a former superintendent, I can verify that these kinds of incidents, great and small, have indeed become the daily fare for school leaders of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. If this book has no other value, and it certainly does have many values, it is important to get these stories into the public eye. Would that "public" eyes actually read this kind of book! The only potential flaw I found in the book is the self-satisfaction which Batory displays on practically every page. Earlier, I warned that Batory is not only sometimes so full of himself that he overflows, but that his tone might offend some readers. He gives himself many pats on the back like, "one of my greatest triumphs," and describes many instances of verbally bullying his way into and out of situations. Furthermore, the macho of his South Philly upbringing (where they had "tough-waitresses, big portions, strong coffee, and greasy homefries," p. 29) sometimes seeps through. One such instance is his interesting description of the "voluptuous, bursting body" of a Department of Education female official whom he had set out to schmooze in order to gain her favor on regulatory interpretations. Female readers, however, may enjoy the delightful irony of the brash Joe timidly putting on sunglasses so he wouldn't be recognized when walking down the street with the delicious Diana. I suspect that the power of Joan, Batory's wife whom he lovingly mentions throughout the book, may be stronger than the macho ethos to which Batory subscribes. I think most will forgive Batory his excesses, however, for two reasons. First, he is being who he is. How many have the courage to do that? Second, he begins with, ends with, and constantly refers to the main focus of educational leadership—making a positive difference in the lives of the students. His brash stories are accompanied by numerous and often poignant examples of the positive differences he made. He describes the Japanese graduate of Upper Darby who was shot while attending Temple University. Having recovered, the student spoke at Temple's Commencement, fondly giving credit to his public school system for what he had learned about caring. Batory comments appreciatively about what the district learned from its many Vietnamese immigrants. He proudly admonishes that, "Great teachers make the difference for all kids, especially the ones everybody else has written off!" (p. 18). He even chooses to illuminate principles of leadership through a list he provides from his father in a very caring description: "you stand up for principle regardless of the consequences; you do your homework, then you speak out for what's right; laugh at yourself, and people will laugh with you, not at you; power corrupts, your soul is not for sale to the rich and famous; prioritize concern for the less fortunate, underdogs need a voice; integrity is like virginity, lose it and it's gone forever; it's ok to be afraid, that's what true courage is all about; and always give a damn about what is morally correct!" (p. 40). He ties everything together gently in a closing chapter entitled "Love Story," love for his school community, his staff, and his students. What a credit to him to let down his tough guy guard and to put that love in writing! I promised to return to Rocco. Joey begins his book by describing his childhood friendship with Rocco, Sal, and Guido in South Philly. Without his knowledge or behest, Rocco and company appear throughout his superintendent's story to save him from physical and emotional harm. They appear suddenly and unexpectedly, like Supermen from a phone booth, except the uniforms are thousand-dollar suits and slicked back hair. Rocco lurks menacingly, for example, in the back of the Board Room when verbal slings were on the verge of turning physical towards Joe Batory. Batory also found out, albeit many years later, that the Arian nation leader who had threatened him, had abruptly left town after a friendly visit from Rocco and Sal. If the one thing that superintendents need is a broader ability to tell their stories, the other thing is to have friends like Rocco, Sal and Guido who understand and will publicly defend the good things that a superintendent does. Although superintendents don't all need the "South Philly" type of friend, they do need members of the community to pay attention to the real values for which they stand. Assuming they are the values that make a positive difference for all students, those friends need to publicly, consistently, and clearly support the person who occupies one of the loneliest jobs in the world. So, as a compliment to Joe Batory for having the courage to write this book, and in his spirit of bravado, I will end this review with some challenges. The first and easiest challenge is to those who prepare school leaders and those who work with leaders already in practice. Use this book as a flash point of discussion, about the hard and soft sides of leadership and how we can accomplish the values that Batory espouses without necessarily enrolling in the Rambo School. Second, just as Joe Batory loved to do, I challenge the media. Print, publicize, and market more books like this! Flood the bookshelves with the stories of what our superintendents do every day for the sake of students, and not just the bold and the brash. As a woman administrator, I faced the brute force of a student's drunken father. I took on the media when they interfered with a student's discipline. I was the subject of political and legal threats. People like myself, however, and other minorities in leadership roles, may have even more intricate stories because we often have to battle some of the more subtle yet powerful obstacles related to who we are. A television series like "Boston Public" could have numerous relatives like, "The Maniac Schools of Suburbia" or a spin-off of a 1960s movie classic, "I'm a Superintendent Dancing as Fast as I Can!" Joe Batory's book scratches the surface of the fact that school leaders lives tragedy, comedy, sex, violence, love, and drama everyday. The third challenge is to our society as a whole, and especially as society lives locally. Read these stories. Watch them on screen if the media accepts the challenge above. Joe Batory proves how interesting the leadership sagas can be. Pay attention to the stories of the superintendents in your own neck of the woods—the whole stories, not just the parts that your neighbor or the media choose to emphasize for selfish or sensational reasons. Learn about the good things happening for each of the students in your schools. And if the good out weighs the inevitable occasional fault, be a friend. Be a public, visible, verbal friend like those that Joe Batory so richly describes. Yo! Rocco! Sal! Guido! Where are you when we need you? We need you now! About the Reviewer Helen C. Sobehart is currently Director of the Duquesne University School of Education Leadership Institute and The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program for Educational Leaders. She was formerly Associate Director, Laboratory for Student Success, Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education. Prior to that, she was in the superintendency at Fox Chapel Area School District. She has published "Creativity Funds School Technology,"The School Administrator; "Creating a Unified Educational System: The Road Less Traveled," CASE in Point; "From Here to Technology: How to Fund Hardware, Software and More," The American Association of School Administrators; "The Student Wellness Check: Conducting a Student Health Survey to Assess Needs," National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin; "Implementing ALEM, and Encouraging First Year," Yearbook of PA Educational Leadership; About Teaching, Carnegie-Mellon University. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology from Slippery Rock University, a Masters of Science degree in Special Education from Duquesne University and a Doctor of Arts degree from Carnegie-Mellon University.