Eye-Opening
After just returning home from NY State PTAs annual convention, I HAVE to sit here and get some thoughts down before too much time passes. It was inspiring, exciting, motivating, and just chock-full of "aha!" moments where I was challenged personally.
To be fair, there was a point when I was more nervous than I cared to let on. Being a part of the Resolutions Committee, this weekend was the moment when all of our team's hard work came to a head with our work placed in front of the delegates for discussion, possible debate, and hopefully their approval. This was work that we began on this year's resolutions in June, and there may have been a collective breath of relief when the final update was accepted and passed by our membership.
However, when I wasn't in the Resolutions Zone, I was being inspired as I listened to the words of the NY State Teacher of the Year, Amy Hysick, when she reminded us that we are raising children "to be small humans who change the world!" My heart surged when we were all encouraged by Superior Court Judge Verda Colvin as "daily champions" who "stand in the gap" for all children, and also reminded that "it's a new day and we have to think with a collective new mind."
And that's so incredibly true, as I was reminded continuously throughout the weekend.
A conversation with a friend and PTA colleague left me holding back tears, as I was reminded that areas I may take for granted are often not even accessible to those without a physical home address. I gained the realization that the change I make in the world doesn't have to be grandiose, but it does need to happen and it needs to start with challenges that exist practically in my own back yard.
It was an eye-opening moment that left me reeling from the fist of reality that had just thrown a punch into my stomach.
Lunch on Saturday found me sitting at a table with a diverse group of individuals from Long Island to Buffalo, and points in between - every one of them passionate about seeing equality in education for every child across the state. Certainly no small feat. As our lunch continued on, however - each minute that went by - I was inspired and able to see more clearly with a state-wide viewpoint and not just the suburban, white neighborhood lens I tend to look through purely by default. The importance of that viewpoint was eye-opening for me, seeing beyond what is physically in front of me, and realizing the need and importance to EVERY child across our state - children, families, and challenges that I may not physically encounter on a daily basis, but realistically, they exist just the same.
Eye-opening.
A "fireside chat" with our Commissioner of Education left me cautiously hopeful of where we're heading in our schools. Workshops on the current hot topics in education trends, federal and state education policies, and the importance of collaborating with administrators filled my head with more information than can often be processed on the spot. That's not a bad thing. It is a sure sign of the times, however, when conference rooms are filled with individuals wanting to know about the Every Student Succeeds Act, the job of the Board of Regents and the NY State Ed Department, and it's telling when education experts are explaining to us how the new federal tax plan, health care, and immigration policies could and do have serious implications on our school districts, and our students.
Eye-opening.
I am grateful for the partnerships that my PTA has built with so many individuals and groups who are completely invested in the physical well-being and education of our children, but I am blessed even more to work with this group of people who will help me to grow into a better advocate, and more importantly will help us all "think with a collective new mind" as we all do great things for every child.
~C.
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| The "Best of the West" - Delegates from Western, Niagara, and Genesee Valley Regions |
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| With NY State Board of Regents member, Catherine Collins, at NYS PTA 121st Annual Convention. |
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