posted June 22, 2005
Do you feel like it's time to bring the focus of our conversations about Hamilton County education clearly and purposefully back to "OK, what can we all do that serves the kids the most"? I wish everyone in Hamilton County could have attended the Annenberg Institute's CORRE study presentation today at the Convention Center. It was so pleasant and promising to hear education-focused and kid-focused and future-focused conversations and recommendations about local education.
One line in their recommendations to our community really moved me:
"Find and focus on the common ground around which Hamilton County Department of Education constituents [that's all of us!] can join forces in support of public schools."
There is so much common ground we all share! We all do care about the kids, we all do care about the future of our community, we all do know that providing awesome educational experiences for the kids gives them/us positive and desirable results. What if all of our conversations about education started and ended with those common ground points? Wow, maybe that would yield quicker results for the kids and an environment where underpaid teachers and conscientious education professionals would feel appreciated and inspired? Those are the people who deliver education, inspire the next generation and churn out happy, productive citizens.
No topic as large and important as educating our children will ever achieve total agreement on all of the details, BUT our support of the schools that educate our kids can be unshakable. Do you get that? None of us will ever agree with everything a school system does. But, with a kid-focused approach to addressing issues whatever results that arise will be workable results- some will be exactly what you think, some will be kind of close, some may be new or even in opposition to what you think. But, a kid-focused, future-focused approach WILL WORK for our children, and that's what it's all about, right? So, I second the Annenberg Institute's encouragement and advice that it's time for our community conversation about education to focus on kids, educational progress and what is possible if we work together.
For those of you who are interested in moving Hamilton County Education forward do you feel like we have a turning point available to us, can you feel it? May I respectfully suggest some "homework" for us all:
1. Take 5 minutes and read The Chattanoogan.com's review of today's report http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_68560.asp
* If you want to see more click on http://www.hcde.org/CORRE/
2. By the end of the work day Friday start two kid-focused or future-focused conversations about what is possible for kids and education in our community. Any conversation that starts from this focus and concludes with kid-focused solutions is a productive conversation to have.
Have a good one.
Joe Harmon
possibilitypromotions@comcast.net
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