Politics, Mindfulness, and Education

When I left my teaching job, I wrote a letter to the President and explained a lot of things including my intention to be a vocal advocate for teachers and students.  Based on the things I’ve been reading, I think now is a probably good time to start acting on that intention in a bigger way.

For those of you who don't know, Betsy DeVos is slated to be the next Secretary of Education and many people are saying that her qualifications are questionable, especially since she doesn't have a degree in education or even any experience as an educator.  It also appears that she is opposed to public education, but as I describe in the video, I understand the bias that exists in the media, especially in things that are shared on social media.

Since politics are one of the major reasons I left my teaching career to promote stress management and social and emotional wellness for teachers and students, I decided that I needed to find a more positive and mindful way to address this controversy so that my questions and concerns could be heard by everyone and not just those who agree with me.

There is a possibility that this video and blog might only reach 10 of my colleagues and my mom, but I can't refer to myself as vocal advocate and not weigh in at this point.  The truth is that I would rather do just about anything than talk about politics and I am willing to wager that many other educators feel the same way, but there comes a time that we must address the elephant in the corner of the room.

Honestly, I'm not sure how the federal government got as involved in education as it has considering it only has delegated powers, which means that, according to the 10th Amendment, decisions about education should up to each state…but that is a debate for another time.  For now, the reality is that the federal government IS involved in education and it seems to be messing it up pretty badly.  

However, I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon witch-hunt for Ms. DeVos because I am an open-minded optimist and I teach my students not to judge a book by its cover.

So, while I intend to give our new Secretary of Education a chance to prove that she isn't the woman that she's being made out to be, I also intend to remind the millions of teachers, like me, who don't feel like their voice matters to try using their voice and see what happens.

When the majority remains silent as the government makes choices that are not the will of the people, it sends a message of apathy or acquiescence that allows injustices to continue.  I understand that this happens when the majority feels like it doesn't matter if they speak up, but that seems like a cop out.  I’m done perpetuating the bystander effect, mainly because I don’t want my students or my son to be bystanders and that means that I have to practice what I preach.

Today I am choosing to speak up to ask Ms. DeVos some questions.  

• Who was your favorite teacher and why?  What did they teach you? How did you grow or change because of them?
• What are the most important skills that our children need to succeed in the globalized 21st century?
• How can we make sure teachers feel connected, supported, and encouraged so that they can thrive and model that experience for the kids who need it the most?
• How do you view the role of the arts and extracurricular activities? 
• What are your intentions as far as standardized testing, data collection, teacher accountability and other mandates that attempt to quantify living, breathing, dynamic individuals?
• Are you willing to collaborate with actual teachers who work in the trenches or is there a hierarchy of bureaucracy that one must go through in order to communicate with you?
• What about your willingness to collaborate with other notable education leaders like Sir Ken Robinson and Diane Ravitch who do have a background and experience with sustainable reform that benefits children and teachers? 
• Last but not least, the question that connects most directly to my passion and purpose in life: How familiar are you with the movement for better social and emotional learning?  Have you spent any time learning about amazing programs like the global Everyone Matters campaign, the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Enrichment Program, Lady Gaga's Emotion Revolution,  or Rachel's Challenge?

These are the same questions that I would ask anyone preparing to oversee the Department of Education for our country and I invite anyone who reads this blog or watches the video to ask her the same questions or add some of your own. 

Speak up.  Share your opinion with your state and local representatives.  Make calls. Write letters.  Be the change.