Back From Military Stint

Iraq Opens AP's Eyes on Education

By HOWARD MEGDAL

DON'T SASS THIS SCHOOL SUPERVISOR: Assistant Principal Charles Hernandez, pictured here in his other role as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard, says his 11-month tour in Iraq reinforced his belief that education is the essential component in adolescents being able to succeed when they grow up.

Asst. Principal Charles Hernandez of Intermediate School 166 in The Bronx will return to his position shortly after an 11-month stint in Iraq. His military service only deepened his appreciation for the importance of education, he said in a Feb. 2 interview.

"In the military structure, adolescents think they're going to come in and going to make changes," Mr. Hernandez said. "And their education wasn't there. It's got to be more than vocational training. We need to be sensitive to cultural differences. We should be afforded the educational opportunities it will take to make those changes."

CSA Aided Return

Mr. Hernandez was not guaranteed a return to his position when he returned from active duty as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard, but credits his union, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators with helping to make it happen, as well as taking care of his wife, Edith, and his three children.

"They made sure my family still got my benefits while I was gone," Mr. Hernandez said. "Edith called, they'd help her. They gave us 110 percent of their time. When I walked home [after meeting with CSA], I was crying - I had another family outside of my own family."

That family was surprised to see Mr. Hernandez, who came home in his uniform Dec. 24 without calling ahead. One problem - he didn't have a key.

"It was cold - I had my camouflage uniform on," Mr. Hernandez said. "I'm screaming outside, trying to get their attention, and my mother-in-law says, 'Hey, I know that guy!' My brother-in-law runs out into the street, doesn't tell my wife and kids I'm back. First thing he does, he gives me a big hug."

The chance to spend Christmas with his wife and children, Mr. Hernandez said, "was so special for me."

More Authority?

Things are different now for Mr. Hernandez. For one thing, he said it is a lot easier to get his kids to crack open their books and study.

"Now it's not just their dad, it's not just an Assistant Principal," Mr. Hernandez explained. "A soldier is telling them to do their homework."

At the behest of a former professor of his at Adelphi University, Stephanie Spina, Mr. Hernandez is working on a book about his experience.

"I was thinking, in a suit, in a uniform, from an AP to a soldier, by Charles Hernandez," he said.

As for his return to I.S. 166, he's ready to come back, though his start date isn't until March 1.

"I miss the kids," he said. "I want to go back and finish what I started. I'm ready to rock and roll."