I'll be over in the corner with Kafka

I recently attended my first PTO meeting. They had responded to requests from me and others to hold a meeting right after school, instead of at six thirty at night. There was a great turn out at the meeting, with a bonus of a lot of teachers attending, too. Hearing so many of the teachers tell us what they are doing in class definitely left me feeling more positive about my daughters' school than I have in a while.

I have also been attending a Friday morning meet-the-principal coffee hour once a month since the group was started this year. That has helped me connect with other parents who want to do what we can to make the school experience the best it can be for our children, for everyone's children.

While I was running a home daycare, I did not have the luxury of being on campus much, and my impression of the school was not flattering. I frequently referred to it as a prison with worksheets. Having the chance to see parents, teachers, and administrators daily has helped improve my outlook somewhat, but it still constantly reminds me, as many of the current debates in our country remind me, how class-based our society is, how it impacts everything we do, how hard it is to escape. And most painfully, how blind those at the top are to the challenges, great and small, the rest of us face. I recognize that I have it easy compared to many.






Image of book found here.