The Front Lines

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet with a small group of educators and former educators.  We heard from experts on the extent of and the effects of homelessness on Albuquerque's schools and on the NM drop out rate.  We also had a Q&A session with the state's new Secretary of Education, Hannah Skandera.  I got to think outside of my role as a classroom educator about the support services and the policies that affect public education.  I came away overwhelmed; there are so many caring, dedicated people in this country who are working to improve the educational system, and it's still essentially the same as it has been for hundreds of years now.  It really is no wonder that so many educators throw up their hands, close their classroom doors, and do the best that they can with what they're given.  Not that we can't to do better.  Despite being overwhelmed - I think things can improve.  It's just necessary to keep in mind that the most important part of teaching is what happens inside of each classroom, every day.  Perhaps what happens in a school as a whole.  Policies and programs are important, but - in my opinion - not as important as making sure the interactions that happen between teachers and students each day lead to the best possible outcomes.