Poverty affects our education, our economy, and our future. It is becoming the norm, and we appear reluctant to address it. We have the steps in place to change it--and we've had these steps for over half a century. What has been waning is our will to act and our determination to succeed.
Teachers have long wanted a say in how schools operate, but the system as a whole hasn't been prepared to accommodate their voices. But more often than not, these teacher leader roles have developed by osmosis rather than intent or planning.
A holistic approach brings together elements that support the development of a child who is healthy, knowledgeable, motivated, and engaged, seeking to ensure all that is required for successful life and preparation for society.
Somehow, the belief that better physical, emotional, and spiritual health generates happier, more productive citizens is quickly becoming accepted as a fact in our culture, yet education has largely been moving in the opposite direction.
Whole-hearted living is where we allow ourselves to taste the whole broad spectrum of emotions -- living life. When we live life fully we open up to the capacity for real joy because we live in uncertainty and vulnerability.
School reform has been the flavor of the month for quite a few months now. However, what we have seen has not been discussion or debate about what constitutes sound reform, but rather debate by headline.
Manzanita SEED, a small, Spanish-English immersion elementary school in Oakland, was one of two schools in California to win the 2010 National Title I Distinguished School Award for raising test scores.