At The Heart Of Who We Are And Why We Care

The word educate comes from the Latin educare "to bring up, to rear.” It is also the source of Italian educare, Spanish educar, and French éduquer, additionally meaning “to bring out, to lead.” It wasn’t until the 1580s that we began to see the definition “to provide schooling” also attributed to the word educate.

Think for a moment about the word care embedded in education’s roots… What does it mean to care for a child? Education today encompasses vast territory from the basics of literacy and mathematics, to specialized curricula, to providing daily nutrition and safe before- and after-school care for children. Education is everything in a child’s life from birth to graduation and beyond. Indeed children are always learning something, regardless of who is doing the teaching, or what the intended outcome.

We recently watched the trailer to the new Mr. Roger’s film. He stated that “every child wants to be loved and to give love.” This may seem like a grandiose topic to tackle in reference to education, but that is exactly what we intend to do in our new blog.  Passion for children and their need for a healthy education is the core of what we will explore.  We will discuss this in our own words and invite guests to participate in discussions as well as submit ideas of their own.

Some of our initial topics for discussion will be homework, parent involvement, the teaching profession, and embracing healthy change. How are these things addressed in schools today? Can we do a better job defining and following through with ideas for change? Our contention is, yes we can.

         We are writing this blog as catalysts for change. We are educators, mothers, and grandmothers. We are engaged citizens, taxpayers, the products of public education, and lifelong learners. We are also risk takers, willing to engage in dialogue surrounding tough issues in education. We care about our community, all of our children, and the future of our schools. We want to share our passion for education with you and invite you into the conversation. The goal is to examine the system of education today, discuss the things that go well and take a closer look at what is needed for all students to be successful.  What is truly at the heart of successful schools is successful students.

So please read and hang in there with us as we explore a variety of topics.  We encourage your feedback and suggestions and hope that our audience will grow to include people passionate about education and children, as well as those who are skeptical about the necessity of giving up some control.  Read to think, read to stretch, read to engage in dialogue. Let us bring some sunshine into the world of education today, allowing us to explore these topics with an open mind.

Introducing Judy:

I met Judy when my son (now an adult) was beginning kindergarten at the school where she was the principal. I was a young, single parent who knew little about education or schools other than my own experiences. Trusting your child to strangers is never an easy thing. From the moment I met her, Judy made me feel confident that my child would be safe, cared for, and in a learning environment that really valued all children. I was reassured by her warm smile, her easy rapport with children and parents, and the respectful relationships she had with teachers.

Over the years I got to know her as a fierce proponent of the school, a fearless leader who truly wanted input and participation from our entire school community, and an unwavering advocate for doing what was best for children. She invited me, and all other parents, into that school as though it were our own… which of course, it was.

That was more than twenty years ago. I have learned a lot from and about Judy since that time. She inspired me to get my teaching license. She welcomed me into my very first classroom after hiring me for my first teaching job. I watched her lead meetings, engage the community, help teachers become learners with a new curriculum, encourage risk-taking, visit classrooms, finesse school budgets, get parents engaged enough to attend and speak at school board meetings, and remind everyone what was really at the heart of everything. She always asked, “Is this what’s best for kids?” If it wasn’t, we were on the wrong path.

If you follow our conversations on this blog, you will come to know Judy as someone who believes passionately in education, who isn’t afraid to talk respectfully about things that make her or others uncomfortable, who wants to understand other perspectives and takes the time to listen, and who values working together for solutions that are in the best interest of children.

Introducing Dani:

Dani is a caring and committed woman with many talents.  She is a mother, wife, teacher, writer, naturalist and awesome photographer; a creative person and a willing collaborator.

I first met Dani over 20 years ago when she was registering her son for kindergarten at the school where I was Principal.  Her warmth and interest in the success of all children drew me to Dani and I was fortunate to hire her as a first grade teacher.

         And what a fabulous first grade teacher she was.  Dani studied and enthusiastically embraced the IB program which our school had just begun.  She had natural instincts for the IB concepts and philosophies and comfortably engaged her students in inquiry.  I always remember visiting her classroom to see children studying insects and mimicking their eating habits with pliers and green paper.  They were so excited and eager to explain the process.  On another day, these students were lying on the floor painting on paper taped to the underside of their desks modeling the painting of Michelangelo.  What a rich classroom for little children Dani created!

Over the years I have watched Dani grow in her profession by taking risks and exploring options.  She has combined her skills as a classroom teacher with her love of nature in preschool teaching at a nature reserve. And she has developed a college course for teachers designed to help them gain confidence and skills necessary to engage in hands-on experiential teaching and learning.  Dani is all about the students, young or not so young.

I am thrilled to collaborate with Dani on this blog.  She will bring energy and integrity to this endeavor and a truly courageous voice.