There occur, in times of great transition, events which necessitate the passing of a baton, from those who have endeavored to carry it with the utmost pride and courage, to others of us who may not be ready to, or want to receive it. Now is such a time. It is April of the year 2011, and the walls of American education have been torn down, brick by brick, plank by plank, and child by child.
With the erection of the walls of the first tiny schoolhouse in this country, raised with it were hopes and expectations for our children, our communities, our states, and this country. Prior to this monumental moment, education had been available only to a relative handful of the most privileged. Out of this handful came many who remain today in our consciousness, in the pages of our history books, and embedded in the fabric of our culture. And in the time that followed, as schoolhouses sprouted up across the plains, our collective consciousness expanded exponentially, creating a culture of understanding, intelligence, and innovation.
Today, in a country built by these very souls, powered by these very minds, education is dismissed as a luxury, and teachers treated as single-minded opportunists. Local and federal municipalities expunge education dollars from budgets without the slightest hesitation, creating irrelevant and personal justifications even as the line items vanish. Citizens ignore initiatives created with the sole intention of providing needed funding for the continued education of our children, even as they embrace bonds to build sports stadiums, entire communities giddy with the excitement of a small child on Christmas morning. Meanwhile, it is expected that education will continue as if nothing has occurred, as teachers are dismissed or stripped of their rights taken without deliberation or rational thought, schools are closed, programs are cut, and class sizes are increased.
We have spoken out, and raised our voices in unison. Our screams have gone unheeded. Maybe we did not scream loudly enough. Maybe they chose to ignore us. We cannot know. Nor can we go back, start over, and try again. We have only one choice, and that is to move forward.
And so I ask you, as human beings and as members of this national and global community, to look back over your shoulder, reach out, and take the baton. Take it from those who have long carried it, and run with compassion and purpose. WE are the last remaining hope for salvaging education in this country. Whether you have a child in school today is of no consequence. This country and the citizens contained within are our collective responsibility. WE are OUR responsibility.
There is no miracle on the horizon. The sweat of those who have tried dampens the brows of us all. Our collective limbs tremble with exhaustion from the effort already expended by the courageous. It is time for us all, in the immortal words of an educator, to stand and deliver. Or stand and watch as the final dismantling takes place.
Do not look back, ask why, or seek to undo. The past cannot be undone. Look forward instead. Ask what CAN be done. Seek solutions. Be courageous. Look where no one has looked before. Trust yourselves, your instincts, and your love for your communities. Get involved! Join the PTA. Send letters to your local politicians. Talk to your communities. Engage your local businesses. Offer to help your local schools - ASK them what you can do. EVERYONE has something to offer, from open hearts and creative minds, to strong arms and legs, to a wadded up $5 bill stuck at the bottom of a long forgotten coat pocket.
Create the future. Do it now. For, if not us, then who? And if not today, then when?
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