This is a re-post of an article I wrote a year ago in praise of teachers and public education. As we start the school year, it seems relevant once again…
It seems that during the same time I was nervously awaiting the birth of my third child last month, the rest of the world was eagerly standing vigil for another, more decidedly regal birth: Prince George of Cambridge. I took the opportunity to reflect upon this, wondering as I held little baby Pearl in my arms what it would be like to bear the responsibility of rearing a future King (or Queen, in my case).
What would be my priorities as a parent? What virtues would best lend themselves to ruling a country and how would I instill those? What type of education would be befitting a future ruler?
But a future ruler is precisely what I have in my arms. This is the ideal of democracy, of our commitment to self-rule – every citizen is a ruler. And the extent to which our little ones are properly reared toward this end, our democratic experiment thrives.
This is why our nation’s commitment to a public government was very quickly followed by a commitment to a public education, accessible to all. A healthy democracy requires an educated citizenry. In a day when teachers and public schools are criticized at every turn and the problems of public education lead many a politician, business leader, and arm chair educator to question its value, we would do well to pause and wonder at the ambitious task we have undertaken as a society: we will educate EVERYONE.
Whether you come to Kindergarten prepared or not, we will educate you. Whether you speak English or another language, we will educate you. Whether anyone has ever read you a book before, we will educate you. Whether you come to school with a full belly or you have not eaten since the school fed you yesterday, we will educate you. Whether you come from a loving family or from generations of abuse, we will educate you.
We do this because we understand that the future of our society depends on it. We are taking that which is good and true about our civilization and the civilizations around the world and transmitting it to the next generation. We do this because we have a robust view of the nature and possibilities of humans. Human greatness can be found in each of us, not just among the royals, aristocrats, or rich. We believe that education is the key to unlocking human potential and is the path whereby we learn just what it means to be human.
To the teachers, administrators, and school staff busily readying our Denton schools for a new year: thank you. You are helping us realize our unparalleled and monumental goal of educating all of our young citizens. The future of our civilization and the success of our American democracy is being worked out in your classroom every day.
To the rest of us: we’re in this game, too. The education of the young citizens of our city is all of our responsibility. Stay tuned later this week to hear about an ambitious project to help our public schools and to make sure no young Denton citizen falls through the cracks. We’ll ask you to join us as we change our city, one student at a time.
AND AN UPDATE ON THOSE TWO BABIES…
