Wise Words While Waiting in the ER

Today while waiting in the ER for the paperwork to come through for my x-rays, I was chatting with a grandparent of a former student at my school where I was a principal. He told me that I was way too young to be retired. I told him that I did retire a bit early because I was out of integrity with what I know to be right in meeting the needs of our youngest children in school. I shared about taking away play time and expecting all five year olds to be fluent readers when the eye muscles do not fully develop, especially in boys, until age eight. Yet we tell the parents of these still developing five year olds that something is “wrong” with their child. 

He asked who was making us do the things I thought were not right. When I shared that the legislators who base their thinking on their own gifted children’s performance were the ones making the decisions, he said, “Gifted? You mean wealthy, right?”  While these two words are not supposed to be synonymous, somehow, they really kind of are when it comes to school success.

Then, he said that I should use my retirement and my expertise to change things. I told him my staff had encouraged me to go to Columbus and be a voice. He asked me what was stopping me.  I really didn’t have an answer.

I will be taking to heart this wise gentleman’s words.