We are the change – it’s not political.

It’s been a busy summer and early fall season.  Lots has happened for Empowerment Through Education – we became a partner of Opportunity Nation (look for a blog entry and newsletter on that soon!) and continued to carry the flag of workplace readiness programs to local schools and nonprofits here in Eastern Massachusetts.  Lots has been happening over these past several months but as I listened closely during each presidential debate, every time I caught media coverage of the campaigns or any time a status was posted to social media, I rarely – if ever – saw anything about education anywhere in the year-long political conversation.  This is sad.  Very sad.  And this is another part of the battle we must fight.  Education reform is a behemoth   It’s so massive no one can wrap their mind about what it means, where to begin or how to do it on a mass scale because there are so many parts, so many people, so many issues and, of course, so many children.

So it’s up to us to have the conversation.  You and me.

We must begin by speaking openly about what works and doesn’t work.  About what we can do locally, collectively and as a community.  All change begins in the hearts and minds of those closely connected to an issue and improving education for our children cannot be politicized.  These are our children we’re talking about.  They may be products of our society but that is the only way in which they are a commodity.  They are human beings just like you and me who relied on the wisdom, dedication and love of adults who make decisions for them.  They, like you and me, will take only what they are given by the education system we provide for them and grow up to create lives, missions, mistakes and futures for all of us.

Tell me, what are you doing to start the conversation?  And if you haven’t yet, how might you start?