Hospice for schools « Cooperative Catalyst

Hospice for schools « Cooperative Catalyst:

Hospice for schools

by Chad Sansing

Hugging Salt Shakers by HarlanH

I have a weird relationship with public schools. In many ways, they made me (or I shaped myself to conform with their expectations of me) and – of late – I have tried to unmake and remake myself in response to them.
That being said, I love the idea of a place where kids and adults can learn and compose together in a sustained community. Moreover, I am an unabashed fan of educators who choose to do good inside the system despite its pressure on them to do wrong unto children. I think a lot of meaningful learning can happen in schools where there are people willing to let kids and adults learn meaningfully.
I remain at once hopeful and skeptical. Can enough of our kids connect with enough teachers in joyful, democratic classrooms to find lasting value in school? Can they find the kind of value that would inspire them to change schools for their kids? To change society?
What do we do for the kids kept out of such classrooms? For the educators who think they cannot run those