Have you walked a mile in their...hair?

In the break room, a coworker looked over my shoulder at the article I was reading about D.C. School Chancellor, Michelle Rhee and commented, “Isn’t there more important news than her hair style?” Well, that got me thinking. First, I had been enjoying the article and looking at Ms. Rhee’s new ‘do. Then I began to wonder if that made me shallow, superficial, and not truly caring about the District’s children and their education.

It’s hard not to be aware of the problems that exist throughout the D.C. Public School system. This is neither new information, nor is it unique to the District. Problems with infrastructure, support, teacher quality, test scores, and the myriad of difficulties experienced by urban public schools fill newspapers and websites. We all know this. We may have our own ideas about what is wrong and how to fix it. However, we do not have the credentials or authority to implement change.

On the other hand, Ms. Rhee does have the credentials and the authority. I have watched her as she works to address problems that seem to me overwhelming. But, Michelle Rhee and I have one thing in common. Every day we deal with our hair.

Hair is a great equalizer, even if we no longer possess it. Good hair days, bad hair days, new styles, addressing hair loss, color mishaps, and finding the right product are things anyone can appreciate. I admit I have a “thing” about hairstyles. I appreciate good hair on anyone, male or female, and am a little jealous of someone with a perfect coif. I possess an abundance of naturally, curly (I would call it “unruly”) hair that never looks the same twice. I used to blow dry it straight, until I finally decided to stop fighting my hair and accept what genetics had decreed. (However, I do believe that my hair color is meant to be experimented with, especially since I got my first gray hair at age 26.)

So, I’m not being shallow, superficial and uncaring about the education of the District’s children when I take note of the Chancellor’s new ‘do and consider the effect it has on how I see her. I am finding common ground and relating to her on a human level, which serves to remind me that she is just a person attempting to do a very big job.