A Chicago Teacher Sets His Students on the Path to Becoming Gentlemen

Daniel Jackson wants to “show them a different side of the world.”

I am as fierce a critic of our broken public school system as anyone, and I routinely lambast the incompetent, agenda-driven, woke educators who dominate that system and who push, often covertly, their subversive, anti-family, social justice indoctrination. But my aim here at Culture Warrior is to highlight not only the evil at work in the world, but the good as well.

So I’m happy to give credit where credit is due when I hear about truly caring educators in public schools who are dedicated not to inculcating gender confusion and racial division and resentful victimhood in children, but to helping steer those in their charge toward becoming solidly educated, upstanding, mature young adults.

Along those lines: Breitbart News reported this week on the charming, inspirational story of second-grade teacher Daniel Jackson at Dixon Elementary School in Chicago, who holds a weekly “Tie Tuesday” to teach his students how to dress professionally and to “show them a different side of the world.”

“I’ve been at Dixon for five years,” Jackson said in a video released by Chicago Public Schools (CPS), “and each one of my students has had the opportunity to learn how to tie ties but also show their own professionalism.”

The dapper Jackson explains, “In college, I was reminded of how my grandfather taught me how to tie a tie” when Jackson was only seven years old. “And I knew I wanted to teach other young men and women how to tie a tie just as I’ve done in our classroom.”

The tradition of having a scheduled day on which to dress up originated in his fraternity at Illinois State University. “Tie Tuesday is my favorite day of the week. Everyone comes to the second floor, and they’re like, ‘Let’s see what you’re wearing today,’” said Jackson.

In the CPS video, students talked about why they enjoy the weekly custom.

“When I wear my tie, I feel I am a businessman,” one student said. Considering that nearly 90% of young Americans aspire to become social media influencers, a career in business seems like an impressively grounded choice, coming from a second-grader.

“I feel good about myself,” said another about dressing up for Tuesdays. And that’s no small thing. Taking pride in fashioning a dignified appearance signals not only that you respect yourself, but that you deserve respect from others.

“Tie Tuesday helped me in class by motivating me to keep my grades up,” another explained, demonstrating that dressing for success helps shape your mindset for all your endeavors throughout the day.

“It’s important to wear a tie to school to represent black excellence,” said another student, echoing his teacher Jackson, who says in the video that when you wear a tie, “you’re showing this school that you are being responsible, you’re being respectful, you’re being in control of your words and your actions… I want you to model excellence in this building and your community.”

As many others have noted in recent years, fatherlessness and a lack of good male role models are serious issues in America, especially in the black community (Dixon Elementary’s students are nearly 99% black), so bravo to Daniel Jackson for presenting to his students, especially the boys, the model of a male figure of authority who dresses like an adult and inspires them to strive for excellence. Just as clinical psychologist and public intellectual Jordan Peterson encourages young men to begin the day by making up their beds, Jackson is showing his youngsters how the simple act of wearing a tie sets a tone of positivity and productivity.

God knows our broken society is in desperate need of reviving certain respectful and self-respecting qualities and behaviors including dignity, civility, and a sense of personal honor, and Daniel Jackson is helping shape those in his classes. “We’re not trying to make our children perfect, but we’re trying to improve their lives,” said Jackson, who is pursuing a master’s degree at Chicago State University with an eye toward becoming a school principal. I hope he becomes one – American boys need more people like him in public education.