The Goddard School’s Post

Having just joined the The Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and the Chesterton Academies of Minnesota as a Senior Fellow, I've been musing on the place of G.K. Chesterton among modern thinkers, or "public intellectuals" (if you prefer). Chesterton observes a delightful distinction between two types of reformers in society: "The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to [a fence or gate] and says, 'I don't see the use of this, let us clear it away.' To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer, 'If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.'" Just go away and think. Perhaps that's what we've largely lost: the ability to pause long enough to recognize the just and prudent purposes of inherited ways of life--from institutions to mores to rituals. Fortunately, the folks in the Chesterton School Network (Dale Ahlquist, Emily Selene de Rotstein, Joseph Grabowski, Mark Steeves, Brenie Bowles, Nes Rotstein, Grettelyn Darkey, Ruth Laxen et al.) are equipping schools that train high schoolers to pause and think, under the influence of the insightful Prince of Paradox. #chesterton #reform #classicaleducation https://lnkd.in/gXqtkV95

For over 25 years, New York charter schools have been shaping their communities and equipping students for success. Thinking about starting a charter school in New York but not sure where to begin? Dive into our latest article and discover the history, challenges, and first steps for launching your charter school journey in the Empire State. https://lnkd.in/e6Ut6C3k

We had our monthly Madera County Board of Education meeting last week on April 9th. I can mention many things from that meeting, but I want this post to highlight something special. This outstanding performance from the students of Liberty Charter last week! Note: this was not done during the official board meeting but during a lunch hosted by the Madera County Superintendent of Schools. Sometimes, I look back at America’s history with assimilation and the damage it caused to many children. Native American students would be taken to boarding schools, their hair forcefully cut—the suppression of their languages and the erasure of their culture. It also develops into this modern post-colonial attitude, even if it’s minuscule, such as the changing of names to fit the American culture. And not many people realize they do it, so I don’t necessarily blame teachers and administrators for this current issue. It’s been ingrained into society. The problem with post-colonial attitudes is that they have taken a seemingly ordinary place in society. So, changing students' names would be typical because “it’s the way it’s always been.” Some students would be ok with it and others would not. “Pedro” would be called “Peter.” “Maria” would be called “Mary.” Slowly, that is changing. And I was proud to see a student mariachi band perform, speaking their parents' languages and dressing in the appropriate cultural attire. It seems cliche to say, “diversity is cool.” But diversity really can be a beautiful thing. And the option to learn about other cultures should be available to all students and adults. Just a thought I had. Enjoy the short video! #multiculturaleducation #arteducation #education

Important read!

💡 “𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘱.” - Saint Louis Sudbury School student There was a time when I thought humans only interacted with their same age group. And there was a time when I thought that was a funny idea. I don’t remember the in between. The idea of separating by age is a bit funny, right? (𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬?!) And, it also makes sense how this just ended up being what we do in many schools. What is your experience? ➡️ 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙨. The process of being curious about that is often the purpose and lesson, for me at least. I’m grateful for this school community and for those who’ve gone before us in reimagining a learning environment based upon trusting children. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 - 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. If you’ve read this far, what are your experiences, perspectives, and curiousities? Thank you 🙏 #continuousimprovement #selfdirected #learning #executivecoaching #leadership #sudbury #education #business #management #consciousleadership #respectforpeople #trust #deming #systemsthinking #futureofschool #futureofwork

Imagine a University that says this about itself 1 We are men and women of honor and integrity. We shall not tolerate those who lie, cheat, or steal. 2. We are dedicated to learning, emphasizing teamwork, leadership, creativity, and critical thinking. 3. We respect the right to diverse points of view as a cornerstone of our democracy. 4. We encourage service to nation and others before self. 5. We stress being physically fit and drug free. 6. To live the Norwich motto, “I will try!” – meaning perseverance in the face of adversity. 7. We stress self-discipline, personal responsibility, and respect for law. 8. We hold in highest esteem our people and reputation. It exists. We are Norwich University - Join us

💫N E W B L O G 💫 from Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz "As we navigate the journey of constructing resilience-oriented schools, we frequently grapple with the challenge of cultivating strong relationships with both struggling students and struggling staff, while also determining effective disciplinary methods that yield desired outcomes. Many schools find themselves on a path leading toward restorative practices and approaches. Our team has been diligently working on a framework that specifically addresses the aforementioned challenges, empowering staff to act as change-makers and undertake the demanding task of serving our most challenging students. Given the prevalent challenging behaviors in our schools, a balance of strong relationships and high accountability becomes imperative." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gm-MwVCc

I believe wholeheartedly in this work! I have been in this work since 2016 in some facet. It has ebbed and flowed over the years and even looked different post-pandemic. Nevertheless, the tools of engagement that we share with our students will always give them the option to restore. This article quotes the work of NC, but more importantly the work of Southwest Guilford High School! #restorativepractices #toolsofengagement #transformativeleader #principallife #educationalleadership https://lnkd.in/erCyWaXY

Dr. Pam Eddinger, President of Bunker Hill CC, raises a critical point - our current college system may not always align with the needs of today's students. Addressing their basic needs is pivotal in shaping positive educational outcomes. Dive into the valuable insights from her and other state leaders in our most recent report with Latinos for Education and The Education Trust MA #LiftingOurCommunities: https://bit.ly/3QNPkVS 

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