My first principal, Mr. Leroy Byars, who had been a very successful football coach, always admonished the staff at our school to "lead from the front." He said we should show our expectations for our students through our own actions and behaviors.
As I reflect on the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it strikes me how well he exemplified that admonition---and how many of us in public education do not.
One of my favorite pieces to teach to both my high school and community college students, is Dr. King's "Letter From Birmingham Jail." Written in 1963, while he was being held in solitary confinement in Birmingham, Alabama during the intense struggle against segregation there, the letter is his response to a published letter from eight local clergymen urging an end to the civil rights activities in the city. Specifically, the writers wanted an end to the nonviolent direct actions (demonstrations, sit-ins) led by Dr. King and the local activists. King's letter is one of the greatest examples of persuasive writing in American history, second only to the Declaration of Independence.
In the letter, King is especially poignant in expressing his sad frustration with those "moderates" who claim to be in support of ending segregation, but refuse to speak out or support the efforts to end it. He particularly rebukes those in the Christian community who shrink from their responsibility to intercede on behalf of their Black brothers and sisters. One of his most quoted statements from that letter:
"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people."
Rev. King put his beliefs into action. He never expected others to do more than he himself was willing to risk. How many of us--parents, educators, and policymakers--will have that same testimony?
How many of us will continue to pretend we can just "close our doors and teach," while gross inequity of resources remains the norm for many U.S. teachers and their students?
How many of us will continue to allow the classrooms and schools of "other people's children" to be reduced to test prep drill camps?
How long will we continue to force too many children to spend their school days in fear of gangs, threats, and abuse, while we allow a precious few pleasant, even inspiring learning environments?
How long will we let ignorant or malicious voices fill the public space with distortions on teachers, teacher education, or teacher unions, hoping the hurt and the damage to the entire teaching profession will just go away?
Dr. King did more than dream, and so should everyone who believes in full, free, quality public education for every child in America.
It is precisely this "close our doors and teach" mentality that has created a leadership vacuum that has allowed those who are looking to dismantle public education to be the loudest voices.
We have to find the resolve to step out of our comfort zone as educators and spread our message, our knowledge with as many people as possible, precisely for the sake of our students and our profession. Thanks for writing this.
Posted by: AvalonSensei | January 16, 2011 at 12:12 PM
Appreciate the comment and agree.
Somehow, we have to convince more teachers and principals to share what they
know about what is really happening to students and education in our
schools--and their ideas for real solutions--with the wider public. Blogs are
one route; this summers planned march in support of public education will be
another (Save Our Schools). There are also state and local opportunities for
those who are willing.
Posted by: TeachMoore | January 16, 2011 at 03:49 PM
Renee, your first principal provided some very sound advice. I need your help in one specific area. "Gross inequity of resources" actually means what? I am not attempting to bait or play ignorant. I have a strong interest in seeing that all children receive an excellent pubic education. My reading often reveals conflicting positions on the question of "money" and its power and/or ability to make a dramatic difference in achievement results. My personal involvement in a local public school initiative brought me in contact with per pupil expenditures and there was no obvious urban/suburban inequity. Actually, urban was higher. I would love to see examples that you or other teachers could actually cite for folks like me, who while caring must admit to a lack of good information. This may be a good jumping off point to getting people to share. That is, talking about just one aspect of the issue-resource inequity. Thanks.
Posted by: Lou Jackson | January 17, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Lou,
Thanks for your always interesting and valuable comments. The "per student expenditure" statistics can sometimes be misleading as the cost of providing services for different students in different settings can vary greatly. When I refer to "gross inequity of resources" I think first of what happened with my own children here in the Mississippi Delta (I detailed in my 5/28/10 blog)where the children in one high in our town actually had a working science lab, while the children at the predominantly Black high school did not--and that was by design. Yet, both groups of students had to take the same state test which required and assumed lab experience. I talk more about some of larger inequity issues in blogs on 9/16/07 and 3/17/09. Thanks for making me dig deeper on this; I'll have to post a or extensive response to your questions.
Posted by: TeachMoore | January 17, 2011 at 11:48 AM