Monday’s “Oprah Winfrey Show” airs at 4 p.m. on Mobile’s WALA-TV10.
The show focuses on school reform efforts, and was taped in Chicago on Sept. 10 before an audience filled with educators.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Washington, D.C., schools Superintendent Michelle Rhee also appear on the show, as does Davis Guggenheim, producer of the education documentary, “Waiting for Superman,” set for release Friday. “Waiting for Superman” spotlights five children who are trying to get a chance at a good K-12 education.
“It was a pretty neat experience,” Willcox said of the Oprah taping. “A lot of people think really highly of Oprah, obviously. Something that really surprised me was the number of people who walked into the studio and started crying because they were so excited to be there.”
While 74 percent of Aspire’s 10,000 students come from poor families, more than half of its schools met California’s threshold for being high-performing. In fact, seven of the Aspire schools were rated as the top-performing public school within their district.
“That caught Oprah Winfrey’s eye,” said Willcox, who lives in Alameda, Calif., with his wife of 17 years and his three daughters. “We are an example of, ‘We can do this.’ There are many reasons to be optimistic. It takes adults standing up and doing what’s right for the kids.”
Willcox described his father as one of his inspirations. Charles Willcox served as chief financial officer in the Mobile County school system for nearly 10 years after retiring from First National Bank.
James Willcox, who has a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy and a master’s degree from Stanford University, served seven years in the Army, including flying a Blackhawk helicopter.
When he got out, James Willcox said that his father urged him to go into a field that he would love as much as the military.
“I enjoy public education and can’t imagine doing anything else,” said Willcox, who is 40. “There’s something special about being involved and helping shape the future of kids. If you do it well, you’re able to provide something that can never be taken away.”
Charles Willcox said he’s proud of his son.
“He’s really happy at what he’s doing,” Charles Willcox said. “Golly, Moses. He talks about low-income kids who are really excelling, about record attendance at PTO meetings, just the whole gamut of things.”
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