what if we changed schools?
What if we changed schools?
What if instead of valuing a set
Of academic skills that
May or may not suit
Our future world,
A future that seems unlikely
If we stick to the current course,
A world that seems to be imploding,
In all ways possible
What if instead we leaned into personal
And collective expansion
Of our inner truth
Knowing ourselves so deeply
Our gifts and shadows
Our human complexity
And how it ebbs and flows
With collective community
Each one of us
A unique expression of humanity
Stitched together to create
The fabric of society
Not needing to conform
No one-size-fits-all
All expressions valid and valuable
All expressions interesting and complex
What if instead we learn how to learn
The things that matter most
Learn how to tune in
To our hearts’ most earnest desires
Learn how to look around
To give and receive support
And love and care
Learn to actually see each other
The world
Ourselves
As we are
Without smoke in mirrors
Without the fear of not
Being or knowing enough
Without judgment of self or others
But with steady curiosity
And willingness to show up
To solve life’s challenges
As they arise
Confidently in the flow
Without the fear of
The transformation begins when we say yes to ourselves
And the unique way they can
Contribute to transformation
Schools could be a place where
Folks come together to learn and
Grow and heal and change
In community
Schools could be a place where learning
Isn’t defined by a space and a set
Of predetermined skills
But by the drive to dive into
Life in ways that make us feel alive
Schools could be a place where we offer
Care and support and get that back in return
Where we share resources and opportunities
And experiences and learnings
Schools could be a place where adults and
Young people build community together instead
Of a place where adults direct the lives of the people
Who are younger
Schools could be a place where we get bored
And dont know what to do with ourselves
Until we get curious enough to move out of
That hard feeling and into the unknown
Creative enough to make something new
out of something worn
To see something in a new light
Schools could be a place where we get inspired by
The thoughts and ideas and activities of those
Around us
Schools could be a place where we use the knowledge of
How systems works to oppress folks and intentionally
Choose a different pathway for collective liberation
Schools could be a place where we practice being
In conflict with people who are members of our community
How to speak truthfully about what is
How to hold space for more than one perspective
And experience being valid
How to let go of the good/bad binary
How to move forward in disagreement
Where disagreement isn’t a total breakdown of relationship
But a distinction in how you and me are different
A place where those differences can coexist
And strengthen what’s possible
