Finding Educational Excellence

It is all too common to blame teachers and education for everything we perceive as wrong or difficult in our world.  Most of the criticism comes from people who have never spent a full day in a classroom.  Education has become our political scapegoat.  We have abused the best teachers and schools with new politically-driven, fear-based tests.  For how long can our profession withstand the effects of assessments that are not developmentally sound?  We have broken the hearts of the finest teachers in the world.  Many have left the profession in tears.  It is these master teachers we need to help us find our way to a healthy and successful life.

Educational excellence will not be found in a new standardized test.  It will not be found in the new teacher evaluation.  It will not be found in the Common Core alone.

Educational excellence will only be found in supporting courageous teachers committed to the cognitive, social, and emotional needs and success of their students. 

We must stop the harassment of education.  We must take the shackles of oppression from our teachers and invite them to participate in academic decision-making.  Our only hope of transforming education is to challenge and care for the human heart.  The transformation of education will be accomplished when we join in dialogue built on Integrity, Authenticity, and Vulnerability.