Defying gravity.

“Where I come from, everyone knows the best way to bring folks together is to give them a common enemy.”—Oz, Wicked the musical 

Public education is slowly becoming the common enemy and it is suffocating.  If this seems far fetched from your understanding and perspective, make time to share a space with your friends in education. How are they feeling right now? 

Since social media allows us to feel like we can have a personal connection with someone, here is what I would share over a cup coffee if we could be face to face.

As someone who has committed over 18 years serving children and families in my wonderful community in a public school, I can assure you. Public schools are not the enemy. Should everyone have the choice how they would like to educate their own children? Of course. That is something I believe with all my heart.  School choice is not the enemy of the public school. Those spreading false information and hate toward public schools are creating an enemy for you all to hate. And as much as it is referenced as a choice for all, school choice is not a privilege every family has the ability and resources to explore.

For a moment, imagine someone accusing your organization/company of indoctrinating and hurting children. All while the academic and emotional needs of your students have increased due to external factors that you have zero control over.  You are also supporting whatever child walks through your doors(all are welcome) with less resources in a climate that accuses you of radically indoctrinating students.  All while you are just tirelessly and desperately exhausting all resources to teach them to be literate, kind, critical thinkers, and positive contributors to a society that is ever-changing.  Can and should tweaks be made to public schools to be even better? Of course. But dwindling their resources and then telling them to just be more competitive, is setting up our schools and our society for failure. Just saying this in writing, I fear will have others labeling me as radical and dismiss my words as someone radically influenced by the enemy. So I should also say, I am a sincere follower of Jesus and actually have always felt a very strong calling to serve and equip the well being of ALL students through a free, quality education in public schools. My faith is actually what compels me to advocate and be brave enough to join the conversation about public schools. I would challenge everyone to ask and truly listen to the educators in your life. Otherwise, I fear that these lyrics will ring truer than true very soon.

“But I don’t want it—anymore.

Something has changed within me 

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by the rules

Of someone else's game.”—Elphaba, Wicked

As always, for my public educator friends…I see you and know how hard it is to not feel like you can add to the conversation. Here’s a little encouragement to send your way. Turn this song up WAY too loud to drown out the noise on the hardest of days when it gets to be too much.  Right now, our kids are still worth fighting for.  Maybe…just maybe some with ears to hear and eyes to see will sincerely understand and stand with us. We truly are trying to defy gravity and know personally that it comes at much too high a cost.

“I'm through accepting limits

'cause someone says they're so

Some things I cannot change

But till I try, I'll never know!

Too long I've been afraid of

Losing love I guess I've lost

Well, if that's love

It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy

Defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye

I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down!!”—Elphaba, Wicked