Has anybody been around cinema long enough to remember a couple of the famous lines from Kevin Costner’s 1989 film, A Field of Dreams : “build it, and he will come” or “go the distance”? Now I have to admit, the film I automatically think of when I hear Kevin Costner’s name is “The Bodyguard.” Blame it on the soundtrack, but I digress – tee hee hee! Kevin Costner’s character in A Field of Dreams , Ray Kinsella, was practically mocked, ridiculed; and he almost went for broke for building a baseball field on land that had historically been used for farming – something predictable and something that upheld current social patterns. Perceptions, relationships and other variables were immediately strained, as Ray felt compelled to transform the land and eventually the hearts of the people in his community. Why would Ray change what on some level was working. The land was familiar, traditional and it just “fit” into the existing community, expectations and cultural patterns. Withou
It is an immense joy to serve our community as a public school servant. As a seasoned public school educator of nearly twenty years, I wholeheartedly believe that public schools can work for ALL students! The tension in this statement is partially rooted in the level of consciousness and actions among the individuals who operate in these learning spaces. Learning, schooling and education do not manifest themselves in a vacuum! Individuals bring the beauty and baggage of life with them into learning spaces. This lived reality thrusts those who are called to educate into a very delicate context. Public education today is a very complex situation and in a very nuanced ministry. Successfully operating in today's learning systems requires individuals to engage in a high level of consciousness, most pointedly around identity and interdependence. For instance, given the intersectional identities of our students and of the individuals who are connected to our students, a thriving educato