Sure feels like that when you sit in a circle with a handful of people and talk education, doesn't it?
Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited to a few small meet and greets with people passionate about DISD and Dallas Education. I love these meetings because it feels good to be around positive energy. It feels even better to be around people that care about the kids you have dedicated your life too. The best feeling you get is from being around people that believe the same things you do. Feels nice right?
Here comes the pivot.
What I love about these things is also what I hate. The feeling of excitement and happiness is always a little short lived because I get back in my car and the cynicism creeps over my shoulder and whispers in my ear, "you know this is never going to work right?"
Here's why that happens.
Every time you get a bunch of people together you have the same conversations with the same pepole. Each person identifies a problem and then people drink, brainstorm, laugh, and then usually nothing else. What comes out of these is often "nothing" only because they are the same ideas that have either already been tried or already exist.
Dallas doesn't lack good ideas. We have an implementation deficiency, not an idea deficiency.
Talking isn't action. Unless you are able to get people to commit, in the moment, with a signature and some sort of enforcement mechanism. If there isn't something in it for them, they will skip it when they get busy, tired, or find something more fun to do. Whether you think Dallas and DISD are headed in the right direction, you do this. It's not a progressive v conservative or reformer v anti-reform issue. It's a human thing.
People talking is a start. It's potential. That's what gives me hope at possible change. This is the challenge that if I had the solution I'd be rich. What I do know is that nothing gets done when the same 10-15 keep getting together to talk about the problem.
That's not progress, that's happy hour.
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Related Articles:
**New** Dallas Education Podcast - How are you Ending the Year?
Dallas ISD News and Politics Rundown - May Week 3
Here comes the pivot.
What I love about these things is also what I hate. The feeling of excitement and happiness is always a little short lived because I get back in my car and the cynicism creeps over my shoulder and whispers in my ear, "you know this is never going to work right?"
Here's why that happens.
Every time you get a bunch of people together you have the same conversations with the same pepole. Each person identifies a problem and then people drink, brainstorm, laugh, and then usually nothing else. What comes out of these is often "nothing" only because they are the same ideas that have either already been tried or already exist.
Dallas doesn't lack good ideas. We have an implementation deficiency, not an idea deficiency.
Talking isn't action. Unless you are able to get people to commit, in the moment, with a signature and some sort of enforcement mechanism. If there isn't something in it for them, they will skip it when they get busy, tired, or find something more fun to do. Whether you think Dallas and DISD are headed in the right direction, you do this. It's not a progressive v conservative or reformer v anti-reform issue. It's a human thing.
People talking is a start. It's potential. That's what gives me hope at possible change. This is the challenge that if I had the solution I'd be rich. What I do know is that nothing gets done when the same 10-15 keep getting together to talk about the problem.
That's not progress, that's happy hour.
Follow us on Facebook; Twitter; iTunes; Soundcloud; Stitcher
Related Articles:
**New** Dallas Education Podcast - How are you Ending the Year?
Dallas ISD News and Politics Rundown - May Week 3
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