I am the EDUCATIONAL resistance

This week in the news we heard a lot about The Resistance. We read about people on “the inside” willing to stand up and stand out. We read about people willing to publicly make statements for and against causes they believe in. We read about shoe burning, New York Times posting, commercial watching, and red shirt wearing. This week was the week to take a stand and I am willing to do so as well.

I have worked in public education for 19 years and have had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most passionate, dynamic, and influential people on the planet. I have seen teachers moved to tears, forced to bleed, and give everything they have to change lives. I have seen schools change their focus from students to scores and back to students again. I have seen fads. I have seen novelty. I have seen the status quo. Through it all I have been committed to being the resistance against sacred cows. I am the resistance to all that was. I am committed to all that is and all who are working to create what could be. I am the resistance and I am standing up for kids.

I have written in the past about the need to Choose Your Hill. We must be careful not to fight every battle or we will lose them all. I will always fight for kids of today over practices of yesterday. I have spoken out against the need for scripts and programs and instead for the freedom to Forget the Label.

Far too often in education we find ourselves defending what was instead of fighting for what could be. We use our staff lounges to complain about our own policies instead using that same energy to fight for kids. We use social media to complain about our realities instead of using that energy to change our culture. This week I am standing up. This week I am standing out. I am not anonymous. I am Dave Schmittou. I am an educator and I love it. I love the people I work with. I love the people I work for. This week I am committed to being the resistance. I will fight for the kids of today and I challenge you to do the same.

Want to learn more about what I believe? Check out my book:  It’s Like Riding a Bike: How to make learning last a lifetime