Facilitate Wonder

You know, I think you said to me once that we really only have two choices: try to institute change from within the system, or from outside. You and I have chosen to fight from within. I’m not sure it’s the best choice. I’m not sure outside is the best choice either. How to go forward? I’m not so sure anymore. It’s so exhausting either way, but dammit, it’s worth the struggle.

Regarding the purpose of schools, I’m not so sure the system is broken. It’s doing exactly what it was created to do:

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history1.htm

I’m not so sure I go that far, but I think he’s onto something there. It’s too bad that the actual structures of school are so crystalline, so static.

I think that we pick the battles that we think we can win. You have to start somewhere, and if not, what’s the point? I still think I’d take a messed up school system over slaving away in a cubicle, or even worse, bouncing around from manual labor job to manual labor job without benefits like my father did for most of his life.

Mother Theresa (my favorite Atheist, by the way) used to say: “There are no great things, only small things with great love. Happy are those.” Hopefully we can be like that other 63%. I think we are.

Keep on keeping on man.

Hey Don! I wrote a long response to this about a month ago, but the computer freaked and it got lost..

Anyway, how are things going? I was thinking about what we do everyday and how certainly it is hard. Some days I wonder how long I can do this work in the public schools. But, I am sure that I was made to do work with youth and young people.

A very smart boss of mine when I was in AmeriCorps once told me not to expect to see the change we are working toward in our lifetime, but not to think for a minute that we were not personally responsible for working toward it in our lifetime. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care if I ever saw the outcomes of my work in my lifetime, but honestly, I can’t imagine doing less meaningful work, even if it is terribly difficult and near impossible.

I have always been stubbornly idealistic, even pretty naive no matter what, but I think we all need that to protect us and allow us to continue when things seem overwhelmingly grim. I think one has to be rather driven and relentless in order to press on. Some days all that gets me through is chanting to myself in my head this stupid mantra that I’ve always pulled into when things seem totally out of control: Just. Keep. Going.

Keep up the great work! We are cheering for you! Please let me know how things are going.. I think of you daily!

Hey Don!!

We just tried to fill an elementary science ed position but it fell through. I hope charter school life is treating you well.

Shoot me an email to tell me how it is going!