Let's face it; it's not easy to make significant changes to the way we learn and work. Radical change is often illusory, despite what its proponents tout and its critics condemn.
But propositions that may once have been true almost always become less true or even false over time. The playing field is constantly being leveled. Thus as a society, we have an ongoing need for reflection, experimentation, and discovery.
If we consider the challenges and opportunities facing education systems throughout the world, the urgency of revolutionizing the way we learn and work becomes evident. Education systems worldwide have experienced historical patterns of discrimination and inequitable funding, great variance in expectations for both educators and students, and an all too frequent desire to take the easy pathway in search of the elusive silver bullet. The current economic stress on communities, schools, districts, states, provinces, and countries exacerbates that desire.
Our children face threats to their success unlike any previous generation. Education leaders face threats to their success unlike any time in our history.
Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet laureate and Nobel Prize winner in 1948, said, "We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the foundation of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made and his senses are being developed. To him, we cannot answer, 'Tomorrow.'"
What we do now will determine whether young people have a future of expanding or shrinking opportunities.
Today a revolution in personal empowerment is in motion at ASCD, leading to monumental disruption in traditional models of learning, teaching, and leading. Now is the time for each of us at ASCD and beyond to understand and adapt.
Each of us is key to the success of the revolution. Accordingly, it is imperative that we lead a culture of growth, infuse growth into the bloodstream of educators at all levels, and act boldly together. This is not the time for apathy or pushback.
Revolutions require armies, with specialized divisions and skills certainly, but armies nonetheless that work in concert toward a single outcome. In ASCD's case, the outcome is for each child to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged, so each of us must draw a straight line of sight from our individual work, our individual roles—whatever they may be—to the effect of our association on educators and, through them, to children.
We believe in using creativity, ingenuity, and a sense of urgency in our commitment to meeting and addressing children's unique needs.
We need to revolutionize the way we learn and work. We need to revolutionize our relationships, practices, and processes, our innovations and designs. We have to let go to grow; we have to get our hands dirty.
The world is filled with infinite possibilities. We can't be quick to judge. We need to change our paradigms to touch the hearts of others.
We have much work to do. Accordingly, education leaders must
- Dare to push the boundaries.
- Embrace a trend in search of the inflection point.
- Trust the weak signs and explore contradictions.
- Dare to be audacious and improvise.
I invite all education leaders, practitioners, political leaders, community leaders, business leaders, advocates, researchers, parents, and students to join ASCD in revolutionizing the way we learn and work. Our children will be the beneficiaries of our resolve.
Getting there won't be an easy, risk-free proposition, but great adventure and opportunity await the intrepid revolutionaries who make the leap of faith.