This phrase was a central feature in my children's primary and lower division classrooms. It's the title of an important book by Vivian Paley and is referenced by an important thinker on diversity in education: Randy Testa, former professor of education at Dartmouth.
In a recent communication by Testa about hazing in colleges and the shifts in the aims of schooling based on quantifiable outcomes and "return on investment", it's never been more important to promote values of inclusivity and acceptance in schools like ours.
Alfie Kohn writes in his article, Only for My Kid: “This bottom line is never far from the minds of parents, who weigh every decision about what their children do in school, or even after school, against the yardstick of what it might contribute to future success. They are not raising a child so much as a living resume.”
“Before
long,” he continues, “the children internalize this quest and come to see their
childhood as one long period of getting ready: they sign up for activities that
might impress an admissions committee, ignoring (perhaps even losing sight of)
what they personally find interesting in the here and now.”
I'm not sure I agree with Testa's assertion that entitlement and exclusion are directly responsible for misbehavior in fraternities and the like, but I do think we need to remember that community building and human flourishing are based on a philosophy of hopefulness and openness.
Robert Coles' work in this arena is also very interesting and important - if you have time, pick up a copy of Privileged Ones: The Well-Off and the Rich in America.
Back to my own kids: they may or may not decide to join a fraternity or a sorority, but whatever they choose, I am happy to say that those early lessons about acceptance continue to be reinforced here at Casady and for that I am truly grateful.
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