Mati, Some good posts there from you in this thread. Maybe you should stand on the soapbox a bit more often?
Best wishes, Anthony Mati Palm-Leis stated to Platt April 19th: >Platt, > >Platt, >What do suggest I do that would "make a difference in the system?" > >Mati: >I think it has fallen on deaf ears but if you ask as question..... it is >about making small differences. As I read Pirsig account of tuning his >motorcycle and note that a 1000th of an inch and contribute to success or >eventual failure of the motorcycle. By perhaps working with a kid with a >difficulty takes a little pressure off the system and it can work on other >aspects of the system in this case a classroom. Perhaps I have been pushy >on this topic. Ok how about getting educated about your local educational >system and attend a local board meetings. It is amazing what you might >learn >about the system by actually listening to what is going one and not just >the >newspaper accounts. One of the most redeeming things about my father was >that he came to me about learning about schools. He would have his >criticisms and I would go through extensively the all the realities that >are >involved and need to be considered. For example sports, in a small rural >district it is not uncommon to spend $150,000 to $250,000 thousand dollars >to maintain an athletic program. My father suggested that this is not an >educational endeavor and school should not be in the business of sports. >Then I pointed out that it comes out to about $1.25 an hour of involvement >for each kid. Hmmmmm..... ok cut sports then you create a tremendous void >of constructive activities at about a 3rd of the price of a babysitter. >Now >what are you going to do to provide 100,000+ hours of activities in a small >community. If you then will likely spend the money in other ways such as >law >enforcement who will deal with a lot of idle kids with 100,000+ spare hours >on their hands doing what kids do. I asked him if he was ready to >volunteer >to organize a baseball team and solicit funds for uniforms and provide >transportation. He quickly realized that he wanted no part of that and >realized what bargain athletic programs offered to the community. It is >one >thing to spout off international studies, it is quite another understand >locally what is really going on. > >The educational system is, as any, an incredible system with its own beauty >and nuances like a motorcycle. It bothers me that people can flap the yap >about the short comings of a system and yet fail to take the time to get to >know the system. You in some respects remind me of the Sutherlands and >their attitude toward the systems of motorcycles. You suggest it is >suppose >to work because it is expected to work and a failure in that system comes >to >you as an immoral shock that will be repair by outrage and blame. Used that >rich intellect of yours to see and make a difference. Throwing your hands >up and suggesting you can do nothing but complain about the system is a sad >loss of the contribution you could make. I apologize about the pushiness of >my idealism but I have been the business too long to hear the voices of >outrage and yet they chose to offer nothing else. What bothers me is that >kids learn from those old folks and they themselves, when they get old will >likely do the same. You suggest you can't make a difference, well without >an effort of trying, you are right. And if you are not so crazy about the >educational system there are plenty of other systems you can chose from. > >Platt: >Right. The experience of successful schools out to imitated or at least >tried by the less successful ones. > >Mati: >This cookie cutter approach to change is really a failed approach. Yes we >can learn from successful systems. But change in the system is really >tricky. Literally it is like tuning the motorcycle while riding down the >highway. The political winds and long established social values that often >create a minefield, and then there is the required culture of change that >needs to happen from within the system. I know that these are generalities >but the specifics can be very consuming. The reality is research in school >change, really sustained change, happens incrementally and with thoughtful >vision and understanding of what we want school to really be. > > > > Platt: > > What do good schools do that can't be made to happen everywhere? > > > > Mati: > > That could be said of the communities that those schools exist in as >well. > > >Platt: >I would suggest it's harder to change an entire community than a school. >Are >there no good schools in poor neighborhoods? > >Mati: >Seeing schools are as good as the communities that they serve, they are >interdependent systems. > > > > Platt: Or that being rich is evil? > > > > Mati: Only when being rich is an excuse for not caring for those less > > fortunate and failing to make a difference when you can. > >Platt: >Let's keep in mind the problems created in doing for others what they >should >do for themselves. > >Mati: Again as wise as you are, I am certain you can help without creating >dependence but that again requires an invested interest with other people. >Ok don't give money but something far more valuable, yourself.... your >time. >Again is there is a problem is the system find a niche to in which you are >able to tune up what you can. There is no magic political bullet or >legislation or answer. It requires go old fashion rolling up the sleeves >and getting some grease on the elbows, otherwise it really is lip service >which doesn't bring much in the way of change. > >Platt: >Well, you have your philosophy of how best to deal with life and your >father >and I have mine. Each can justify his views. That's what makes life >interesting. > >Mati: Respectfully I suggest it is not a philosophy but rather a >willingness >to accept cold comfort in exchange for change. Philosophy requires >reflection of not only the realities around us but also from within us and >with that new found wisdom to make a difference in what we do with life. >That is the real power of Pirsig's work. > >Once again I dismount the soapbox. > >Take care, >Mati > > > . _________________________________________________________________ MSN Hotmail is evolving - check out the new Windows Live Hotmail http://get.live.com/betas/mail_betas moq_discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
