How about that joke about the P.E. Teacher who went to Washington
to join the team and found out that there was no team, there was no
captain and nobody knew how to play the game.
That's how it feels much of the time.
How many of us had equity education when growing up?
Probably not many. No wonder we are perplexed.
All of which has been written here is very important. Each plays their
part to make a whole. We don't need the put downs.
This is what we need for our kids.
No put downs.
I just worked with a elementary principal who so much didn't or couldn't
deal effectively with a bully that she accused the victim without even
giving him a chance to tell his side.
I wish I could tell the parent. I don't have his last name though.
This is just an example of a type of inequity which goes on everyday,
in every school, everywhere.
There are so many aspects to our discussion that it is a times
overwhelming.
The entries have spoke about it in so many different views.
The issue of equity is very multi-dimensional.
What did we miss in being educated that we know the kids need to become
whole?
The same old paradigmn that ignored, hurt and oppressed us is knocking
the kids around today. The indoctination hurts us all.
If we could hold every kid in America (in the world) over our heads, what
can we do to get them to stay there?
We need ie., academic, social, creative, physical, emotional, sexual, and
anti-bias education to educate our kids wholistically or we are gona get
what we already have in some form.
Social and academic dysfunction marches on.
Our society is so entrenched from decades of "isms" of all kinds, we
really can't afford to take another generation of kids through it too.
The system is falling apart....and creating bullish attitudes as it goes.
Kids who feel hopeless are killing themselves...girls have babies to feel
loved.
No matter what we accomplish it's never going to be ideal, but moving in
the right direction must address all the various aspects of the issue.
Emotional education, anti-bias, specifically, sex, race and class must be
viewed with equity to academic needs.
We need to team.
We need to learn how to play the game.
We need to teach each other.
JeanMarie DeSpain, M.S.
Educational Ideals
jdespain@efn.org