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Greetings, fellow free-thinkers,
I am - to borrow from the beautifully understated words of George Jackson - "positively displeased" with what is happening to our profession. Never have I been this ambivalent about the work that I do. Childhood as we once knew it is rapidly vanishing, and the voices of our leadership have been oh so quiet. In our rush to embrace "research-based", "data driven", "accountable" programs for children - we have been absolutely blind to the landslide of unintended consequences that has already arrived at the callous-free feet of our children. Obesity, sedentary lifestyles, diabetes, shortened life expectancies, diminishing creativity, behavioral changes, media addiction and critical thinking deficits are here now. Repetitive motion injuries, other realted s...keletal-muscular problems, vision problems, consumer addiction, language acquisition issues are at the threshold.
I will not be colonized - even by my much loved professional association. I will push back. I will be angry when I must. Every child that wanders a playground bored, every child that falls asleep crying beside hours of homework, every teacher that fills in bubbles on assessments when they should be filling up the spirits of children demands that I speak up.
I don't have anger management issues. I have managed my anger too long. It's time to be outraged.
I am - to borrow from the beautifully understated words of George Jackson - "positively displeased" with what is happening to our profession. Never have I been this ambivalent about the work that I do. Childhood as we once knew it is rapidly vanishing, and the voices of our leadership have been oh so quiet. In our rush to embrace "research-based", "data driven", "accountable" programs for children - we have been absolutely blind to the landslide of unintended consequences that has already arrived at the callous-free feet of our children. Obesity, sedentary lifestyles, diabetes, shortened life expectancies, diminishing creativity, behavioral changes, media addiction and critical thinking deficits are here now. Repetitive motion injuries, other realted s...keletal-muscular problems, vision problems, consumer addiction, language acquisition issues are at the threshold.
I will not be colonized - even by my much loved professional association. I will push back. I will be angry when I must. Every child that wanders a playground bored, every child that falls asleep crying beside hours of homework, every teacher that fills in bubbles on assessments when they should be filling up the spirits of children demands that I speak up.
I don't have anger management issues. I have managed my anger too long. It's time to be outraged.
EEAL is seeking like-minded advocates to join the conversation.
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