CONTROL

It's local election time around here which stirs up all the things.  Local election time used to be cool, but now it's not.  In particular our school board election used to be exciting, now it's terrifying.  What was once an amicable race has turned into political chaos.  It doesn't seem to be focused on the good of the students, teachers, tax payers but focused on control. When I started teaching in a public high school 5 years ago, it was a huge eye opener. Some of the things kids deal with are harder than things I have ever dealt with in my 56 years of life.  What I wish would happen is that all of the board members would spend one full week in my school, all day for 5 days. I wish they would spend time in all levels of classes, from AP to resource.  I wish they would sit with some of my students and listen to their stories.  I wish they would know them like I do and see the repercussions from decisions being made.   I wish they would experience the sadness when they hear their struggles and the joy when they get to be part of their successes.  I wish they would see that we are diverse and come from many places, and that we don't all fit in the same few boxes.  The different points of view, backgrounds, stories of others is part of learning and growing and what makes the world beautiful.  I hope our community can embrace it instead of trying to control it.  The only thing that should be controlled is your own behavior and actions.  You cannot control other people's actions, you can only control your reactions.