Where is the Compassionate Action Network in the Public Education Arena?

Comment

Comment by Kenny Ramer on June 30, 2010 at 12:12am

Art and Music are being cut From schools all around Seattle, Art and Music are essential elements that need to be instilled within a Child as one Grows... It is being left out for Lack of FUNDS????
Where is all the Money Going???

Children need to develop certain senses certain organs need to be felt, Gardenning or any use of ones hands is also essential, Baking, working with Clay, these skills nurture the Brain and grow ones heart , they are most essential elements in growing a Healthy Individual and a fully realized human being.

I agree the Public Schools don't understand the education of growing healthy "Souls"

Before School age
Babies need to crawl on the Floor More and allow there Brains to develop move in the frontal portion of the head
Babies are being carried around and transported around and are not getting enough crawl time, and we think if our babies begin to walk early its a good sign, when its something to be concerned about, and the teeth are another sign of concern, if they come in to soon, or if the don't fall out by a certain age, its also a concern that can be corrected...

But if we aren't aware of these things we won't change and if we are invested in Education it will be difficult to tell the Old School how to run the New school with the same Staff and Mentality.

WE Need a stronger illuminated idea of what changes need to be made first, it seems all of a sudden people are waking up and speaking out about change...

My Only point is that there are lots of things that we could do but we really don't have a strong enough sense as to what it is we need to do as a collective...

But if we can't come together on some very basis well grounded documented methods for growing healthier children we truly will have missed this entire calling into Compassionate Action

This isn't rocket science. We are not allowing the Brain its due Development and then we wonder why we have so much Add...
Its a No Brainer... WE are NOT growing healthy human Brains,all across America.

Comment by PamKM on June 25, 2010 at 10:13am

Thanks Sahila. I visited the links below and will think about these important issues.

Comment by Sahila ChangeBringer on June 24, 2010 at 2:50pm

Actually, Arne Duncan is a puppet of the corporate privatisers of public education; see here for more details: http://www.economicprincipals.com/issues/2010.05.30/1146.html

Most teachers are wonderful, but many, many school districts are suffering under exactly the same conditions as ours are, and are not seeing academic improvement...

And you know what the common denominator is there? Many districts across the nation now have Broad Foundation-trained superintendents and are implementing the Billionaire Boys' Club agenda and that's a trend that's been occurring for 10 years... see the map and fellows list from the Broad website:
http://www.broadacademy.org/fellows/map.html , http://www.broadacademy.org/fellows/index.html

Please, please, please do some research and educate yourself on what is really going on in this country with public education.... I ask this respectfully...

Comment by PamKM on June 24, 2010 at 2:01pm

Hello Sahila - Thanks for your thoughtful response to our comments. I respectfully disagree with vast statements such as "there are no positives or inspiring messages in what is currently happening in public education." I've read many examples across the country of progress being made and don't want to see everyone tossed out. In addition to concern for children, my compassion extends toward the adults those in the system (such as Education Secretary Arne Duncan, hardworking teachers, and administrators) who are fighting the good fight. I completely agree with the need for plain-speaking and activism, but I think this can be accomplished with mutual respect and a commitment to the golden rule too. Thanks again for the dialogue.

Comment by Sahila ChangeBringer on June 24, 2010 at 9:37am

Jon and Pam: I appreciate your points of view; however, there are no positives or inspiring messages in what is currently happening in public education...

And no amount of 'uplifting' words will alter the fact that there is a corporatist privatisation agenda sweeping this country, turning schools into factories of standardisation, teaching to the test, deprofessionalising the teaching corps and focused solely on turning out the next generation of workers and consumers... there is a policy of outright racism in motion, with an attitude that children of colour dont have the capacity to do as well as their white/asian counterparts unless we put them into a militaristic environment...

This policy completely disregards cultural heritages and it denies the truth of history which has placed communities of colour in the situations in which they find themselves - and its deeply ingrained (sometimes unconscious) personal and institutionalised racism and classism that is allowing this to happen...

I understand the difference in approach you are both 'advocating'; however, sometimes there is a need for plain speaking and activism - Gandhi, MLK, Jesus (outrage at merchants in the temple) etc... because the system is wrong and needs to be overturned, and that is the case with public education...

There are no positives in the system, it needs wholesale change and the only way to begin to do that, is to remove those people implementing this agenda on behalf of their sponsors. There are plenty of models/research on what works in education, what is good for children individually, but these people ignore all of that...While those people are still in control, change is impossible...

Our children are the very foundation, the very root of a more compassionate society... thye are our most precious gift and resource. What is being done to them in the name of public education is despicable, dehumanising, and certainly not compassionate...

Comment by Jon Ramer on June 24, 2010 at 9:20am

Greetings! First off, thank you for your activism and your work on behalf of children. It is people speaking out and asking for change that makes change happen. So all of us who care deeply about the future of children owe you a deep bow of gratitude. I offer you mine. The challenge that we face is how to engage others and make the opportunity to participate in making change something relevant and appealing. This is just the way it is.

If you want to know where CAN is, this message will not satisfy you. CAN is a self organizing network of individuals and groups. Instead of having a formal policy on something like this we look to our guiding principles to help give us direction. Here is one principle that comes to mind:

Move to the Positive
"Solving the critical problems in our lives and communities is best approached by visualizing and moving into the positive alternative that we wish to create, and by building on the strengths we already have, rather than on giving away our energy fighting the negative."

This guiding principle speaks to the difference between being an "activist" and an "advocate". Who do you think should be the superintendent? What changes should be made if they choose to retain Maria Goodloe-Johnson?

Do you see the distinction I'm making?

Comment by PamKM on June 24, 2010 at 9:16am

Hi Sahila,
Thanks for your passionate concern about education, which I think all CAN members will agree is an issue of fundamental importance. You probably already know that CAN provides a platform for self-organizing groups to pursue their own projects. The organization presently focuses on the "Campaign for Compassionate Cities" and we host two events per year. Other than that, CAN hasn't come out with bold statements about specific issues, but individuals and groups are welcome to do so.

This means that you're free to organize your project on this social network platform but you might need to bring in new people from outside who support your approach. Depending on the issue, tone, and how many other projects people are juggling, CAN members might also get involved.

For me personally, I have two teenagers and care passionately about education but I don't know enough about the school system in Seattle or Ms. Goodloe-Johnson to try to oust her, which sounds harsh to me. Are there other options? The parents I know with kids in the school system haven't expressed a concern about Ms. Goodloe-Johnson, but I'll ask for their opinions the next time I see them. To be fair, I'll need input from all sides, including Ms. Goodloe-Johnson's, before I form an opinion about her work.

I'm not speaking on behalf of the CAN organization, but I've noticed that projects with positive, inspiring messages tend to attract more attention. The focus on one woman that most CAN members don't know might make people uncomfortable because it feels like a personal attack, even if the issues you're raising are valid and the district does need a new superintendent.

Thanks again for your work to accelerate positive change in the schools. Your approach might be the right one but I just don't have enough info to feel comfortable using the Compassionate Action Network platform to lobby against one individual. My own question is what is the most effective way to improve education in the U.S. and around the world? Are there positive methods for accomplishing this so more people will support them?

Kind Regards,
PamKM