Americans seem to disagree on a lot more than they agree on these days. However, when you get right down to some of the core issues, such as the state of education, you’ll find that most folks agree that our children are not getting the best education possible. However, a split second after that acknowledgment, the fingers start pointing blame at targets that correlate with their political ideology.
It’s tragic how most of us can agree that forces pulling the strings of politicians and most news organizations distort the truth and divide us into tribes for their continued enrichment. But, we can’t seem to take steps to change this unproductive partisan feedback loop most Americans find themselves trapped in. I must confess that I’ve unplugged from most political discussions during the Trump years out of pure frustration.
However, disassociating from important issues is not the answer and plays into the puppetmasters’ hands. Instead, let us focus on finding and supporting those uncorrupted voices of truth that spring up in true “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” moments like the one in the video below.
In the video, a teacher who worked in Michigan addresses the Grosse Pointe education board during one of their public meetings. Anyone who had ever been to a school board meeting should be able to recognize the bored expressions of disinterest we see from the members in this video as the teacher pours his heart out about the atmosphere of distrust and limitation he and his colleagues have to deal with while trying their best to educate students.
The teacher opens by recalling his participation in a mandatory course on treating bullet wounds during a school shooting. While this course is an entire discussion in and of itself, the teacher focuses instead on how he was taught to prioritize students with certain wounds over others, in essence, choosing who may live or die.
But then he points out how the school board doesn’t see fit to trust teachers to make educational decisions that impact their kids’ lives every day! Watch this passionate educator let loose on his local school board in the video below.
It’s clear that none of these board members will take this man’s speech to heart, and business will go on in Grosse Pointe as usual. It would be up to the parents and voters to create the change necessary to make their teachers feel more empowered and less like the ex-teacher in this video.
While there’s not much we can do to change the system overnight, starting at the local level is how change occurs over time. One can imagine if passionate teachers such as this man were elected to school boards or had the power to do their jobs properly. Please be sure to pass this article along to your friends and family, and hopefully, we can inspire more change within our local communities and thereafter, our nation.
