What
Do We Stand For?…
"A man who stands for
nothing will fall for anything." Malcolm X
"A house divided against
itself cannot stand." Lincoln
"Stand With (Walker or Wisconsin
depending on your political persuasion)"
We've done a lot of standing
with/for/against things in Wisconsin
over the past couple of years. The
imagery associated with standing can be associated with strength, support,
stability, or sometimes stagnation. We
can be seen as standing together to support a position or individual. We can be standing strong against an outside
force, but we can also be standing still and not moving forward. This idea of solidarity vs. stagnation is an
important one in the current political, social and economic climate. It is an image with historical connotations
and one that is a powerful motivator that unites supporters. It gets at the heart and soul of our own
individual beliefs and bonds us with others of a like mind.
People may be familiar with the phrase, "My country, right or wrong." This phrase has been used to describe unthinking support and could easily be extended to all areas of our lives. It depicts a type of behavior that is automatic and based not on independent thought, but on a blind obedience or belief that we must stand behind all actions of a larger entity, even when we know that they are not proper. This quote is actually the beginning part of a slightly longer quote attributed to Carl Schurz in 1872 that goes, “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” Obviously, this longer quote has very different implications. The idea that we should support our country (or any other organization, individual, philosophy or ideology), but should be willing to recognize the fallibility of any human activity and make necessary changes to it, is very different from blind acceptance and unquestioning loyalty.
Because the current
environment is so confrontational and antagonistic it becomes very important
that we are choosing our positions carefully and defending (or standing
with/for) the correct things. We can't
blindly stand with or against someone simply based on their political party,
other associations or ideological viewpoints.
The more we base our allegiances on these types of characteristics the
more divided our society becomes. If our
loyalty is based on a reflexive response and not from thoughtful, rational and
well developed thinking we fall into the trap that has done so much harm
throughout history. We put ourselves on
a path that has, too often, caused significant problems for so many. Loyalty to a cause is a valuable trait;
however, loyalty must be tempered with reason and a willingness to accept
changes or to admit mistakes.
Along the process of
discovering what we stand for we need to challenge ourselves to hear the
opinions and beliefs of others who may disagree with us. It is only through exposure to multiple ways
of looking at an issue that we can identify the strengths and weaknesses of our
own beliefs. We live in a society that
is diverse in so many ways. This
diversity is a strength, but one that isn't without challenges. The positive aspects of our vast diversity
can only be realized if as many voices as possible are truly heard in a
meaningful way.
Unfortunately, the hostile
environment that currently exists in much of our public discourse makes it less
likely that people will hear other viewpoints outside of their personal comfort
zone. We seem to spend more time looking
for flaws in opposing opinions than we do looking for commonalities or positive
aspects. This causes us to miss
opportunities to find compromises or even solutions to our problems and further
divides groups in our society.
It certainly isn't hard to
see multiple examples of this phenomenon in modern America. Here are a few from the last couple of
weeks.
One of the most vivid examples of our inability to
communicate about challenging issues is the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman
case.
This case provides and
example of just how complicated it is to have public discourse around a tragic
and controversial incident. Cases like
this one serve as a lightning rod for people to score political points or to
make sweeping commentary about issues of great importance. However, lost in the hyperbole and rhetoric
is the reality that we need to be able to move forward and work to escape our
historical legacy of violence and inequality.
Unfortunately, it is too
easy to take cases like this one and only hear one side of the equation. Instead of uniting around the idea that no
one should be killed, injured or feel unsafe in our society and working
together to achieve a goal of peace and justice for all, we find too many
people isolating themselves in a cocoon of fear and suspicion. We worry more about "standing our
ground" and defending our own personal space than we do about making
changes that lead to a more unified and a stronger America.
While there are many
different ways to interpret this case and many issues involved, for me, in the
end it boils down to a sense of community and belonging. We will probably never know all of the
details, or the full truth about why Zimmerman shot Martin. That's the complex reality of human
events. However, it isn't difficult to
see that the climate that exists in modern America lends itself to these types
of violent incidents. We have created a
world where there is a clear sense of who belongs where. Knowingly, or unknowingly we separate
ourselves by age, race, gender, and countless other categories. All of which are magnified in importance
beyond an understanding of the basic humanity that should unite us. Racial profiling by police, racial profiling
in our daily interactions and an increasingly segregated society turn simple
differences into potentially deadly divisions.
George Zimmerman trial: Not guilty in shooting death of Trayvon Martin
abcnews.go.com
Issues around race are
very difficult to discuss and come to any sort of positive resolution on. They permeate through our history and impact
virtually every aspect of our society from economics to education and
beyond. We can try to fix them through
public policy, however, legislation and regulation can
only go so far in changing our society.
Real change occurs on a more personal level. Each of us is constantly searching for
acceptance and a sense of belonging.
Unfortunately, for many this necessitates a rejection of those different
from us.
www.dailydot.com
Winner take all politics makes us all losers. Wisconsin is a divided state and nowhere is this clearer than when you mention Scott Walker's name in conversation. Once again this reality provides and example of why those who oppose his policies need to articulate our thinking and make it clear that we oppose them, not just out of spite or vindictiveness for some imagined wrongs, but for real substantive reasons. Walker's supporters would paint a picture of his opponents as unionized dinosaurs living in the past, while Wisconsin Republicans try to move the state forward into a fiscally safe future. Yet, there are very real reasons for opposing the political, social and economic policies that have been enacted here in Wisconsin over the past few years.
An accusation, realistic or not, is a powerful
weapon to be wielded against opponents in public discourse. We've
been told that there are massive amounts of voter fraud going on across the
country. In order to fix the
"problem" many states have been working to enact stricter rules
around voting. Yet, the accusations of
fraud don't appear to have much substance and seem to be more of a political
tool than a real concern for protecting the sanctity of our electoral process.
Voter ID laws and voter
fraud have been portrayed as a racial issue.
I won't deny the racism that is implicit in many of the so called
"reforms" that have been passed by Republican dominated
legislatures. At the same time, to
simply look at the changes in our electoral process through a racial lens
limits the full impact that they have on our society. Any attempt to limit the voice of citizens,
for any reason needs to be viewed as a serious threat to our republic.
Extreme actions lead to extreme reactions, which
lead to more extreme actions, which lead to more extreme reactions… There
will always be a fringe element in any society that is willing to take issues
beyond what seems to be a logical extreme.
However, when pushed too far, even more moderate individuals begin to
react in ways that are confrontational or outside the typical. The protests of February, 2011 provide an
example of this. People who normally
wouldn't take to the streets felt obligated to stand up for their values. The exclusion of the people's voice from the
decision making process made "rebels" out of moderates.
Now we see an escalating
pattern of violence and militarization in the northern part of Wisconsin due to the
controversy over mining.
There is always hope. None
of these issues are unprecedented or unique.
We've been dealing with them for the entire scope of history and will
continue to struggle with them into the foreseeable future. What then is the motivation for us to
continue to struggle for justice and equality for all citizens? It would certainly seem easier to give up and
simply try to protect our own personal interests. The answer lies in discovering what we stand
for and finding others of a like mind to work together with. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a
small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever has.”
Standing Up for Public Schools…
The idea of standing for
something is an important aspect of any individual's character. We all want to believe that we are useful,
contributing members of society and that what we do and value is
important. The attacks on public
education have certainly challenged educators' self-esteem and core beliefs. We have been told that we are not competent
and are lazy. We've been told that our methods
of educating students are insensitive and outdated. We've been told that our whole educational
system is flawed and should be "reformed" or even eliminated. Public educators truly feel like we've been
blamed for much of what ails society, from budget woes, to the decline of the
workforce, to racial divisions and inequities.
Our public schools face
attacks on many fronts. Here in Wisconsin the most
recent threat is the expansion of the voucher program.
The attacks on public
sector workers through Act 10 and the general disrespect for the education
profession have affected the number of students looking to join the field.
Of course these challenges
aren't occurring only in Wisconsin.
CPS to lay off roughly 2,100 staff, including veteran teachers,
this week: union - Chicago Sun-Times
Yet, even in the face of
these assaults, we continue to fight to preserve, protect and promote our
public schools. There are many reasons
why public educators work so hard to defend our profession. For me it goes way beyond a simple desire to
protect my livelihood. It isn't about
trying to justify the last 20 years of my life and the work that I've done as a
public educator. It's a real belief that
our public schools and the work that goes on in them is a valuable, even vital,
resource that our society needs in order to evolve and thrive.
My fight also centers
around the idea that we need to protect the interests of the children and
families we serve. Education for profit
won't protect the "consumers".
We know that turning our schools into businesses will not serve those
who need the "product" the most.
In some ways this debate
goes even deeper than just educational policy and developing the future of our
society. The struggle revolves around a
constant tension between the real need to develop talent and to learn practical
skills, and the innate drive to learn about the world around us. The idea that everything in our society needs
to have a practical application that produces measurable results is clearly
demonstrated in many of the "reforms" that are currently attracting
so much attention. By quantifying and
measuring the knowledge that our students achieve we are able to somehow make
education more substantive and useful.
This is why, in many circles, a student pursuing an engineering major is
held in higher esteem than one working towards an art history major.
This
is one reason that I continue to speak against the wave of testing and
standardization of curriculum in our public schools. It is not a desire to avoid accountability,
nor is it a fear of trying new things.
Instead it is a reasoned reaction to the constant pressure to make the 9
and 10 year olds in my classroom "career and college ready". I truly want what is best for my students,
but if Margaret Mead (writing in the 1940's and 50's) felt that, "In
the modern world we have invented ways of speeding up invention, and people's
lives change so fast that a person is born into one kind of world, grows up in
another, and by the time his children are growing up, lives in still a
different world," then what are our children in the 2010's facing. We have very little idea what the world will
look like in almost a decade when these children will graduate from high
school. By limiting their opportunities
to what a publisher who doesn't know them at all believes to be appropriate,
and ignoring what those closest to them (families, educators, and community
members) see daily we do our students a huge disservice.
This is not a phenomena limited to the United States either. The results can be disastrous for any
individual. One of the comments after
this article sums up the potential damage well:
"Absurd. I sat the old 11-plus in 1946. My father had
recently returned from the war a broken man and on the day of the exams I
suffered both a hay fever attack and a migraine. For that I was categorized a
failure. It took me over ten years to recoup and to follow a career in
education to university level."
This constant drive to
quantify the level of education and sort our students creates a real problem in
many ways. Testing and collecting data
become a driving force in education instead of focusing on student
learning. We put as much, or more,
energy into designing assessments and scheduling tests as we do on actually
educating our students. So much of a
district's budget and resources are devoted to this data collection that we
lose sight of what is really important.
http://unitedoptout.com/opt-outrefusal-guides-for-each-state/
This idea that education
should be assigned a value carries beyond the school walls and into all aspects
of discussions around education. Nowhere
is this more apparent than in discussions about the school budgets that are
created annually. The headlines may blare
“PROPERTY TAX INCREASE" but the reality is that these increases are due to
the decisions made higher up the food chain at the state and national
level. These decisions are made, not to
improve education, but to gain and hold on to political power. What
if the headline about the school budget mentioned the fact that it is
decreasing by a half-percent from last year, or that the tax increases resulted
from an $8.7 million cut in state funding to MMSD?
What
is just as clear in educational issues, as in any other societal concern, is
that individuals working together can make a difference. Many people spoke up about the need to
continue holding conferences at the start of the school year in Madison's elementary
schools. These conferences help set
goals for students and establish communication and a working relationship
between educators and families. School
administration and the Madison School Board heard these concerns and worked to
make sure that the conferences will be held again this school year.
Small groups of
thoughtful, committed people are working all over our city, state, nation and
world to try and bring important educational issues into the public
debate. While the challenges are many,
the potential results are well worth the struggle.
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