This is brilliant! It may seem to be one of your less controversial pieces, but if readers allow it to soak in, they will see how very serious it is. I see exactly what you're talking about in my work as a teacher. The regular public schools where I used to teach are so filled with despair that it hits you as you walk in the door, or just before. I texted my mother on Friday as I waited for my assignment at a charter school where I go frequently, "The absence of despair is shocking." There are people who are trying to teach the young about high standards, Western civilization, and the power of education and autonomy. They... maybe I can say we now!... are fighting against the incredible odds you describe here: inertia, desperation, lack of hope, dependence. Watching the kids talk about the impending lack of food stamps was quite disturbing. The idea that the government should provide the food for black families is so deeply entrenched. But what I saw was responsible adults talking to the kids about how they needed to get an education so they could get a good job and provide for their own families. Every day we try. Your straight talk and insightful analysis helps me make sense of the world I live in and continue to find meaning in every day. Thank you.
Thank you for this. You described exactly what I was trying to name. Despair isn’t loud. It’s ambient. You feel it when you walk in.
Your observation about the absence of despair at the charter school is telling. Standards and expectations immediately change the emotional climate. That isn’t ideology. It’s structure.
We saw the same thing over the years with our own kids across homeschooling, charter, and public school. The difference was impossible to miss.
I really appreciate you taking the time to share this, and even more that you’re still doing the work every day.
A great and very thoughtful analysis, Mr. Arnell! I have followed you for awhile now, but this post has compelled me to become a supporter.
“As systems grow more complex, opting out becomes unrealistic.” Yes – but it becomes the only viable choice! And this is one more reason why in our future society, we do not want complexity. It should be noted here that complexity goes hand-in-hand with centralization, and centralization goes hand-in-hand with consolidation (and usurpation!) of power – this is why we need to decentralize in order to survive as a civilization.
This is brilliant! It may seem to be one of your less controversial pieces, but if readers allow it to soak in, they will see how very serious it is. I see exactly what you're talking about in my work as a teacher. The regular public schools where I used to teach are so filled with despair that it hits you as you walk in the door, or just before. I texted my mother on Friday as I waited for my assignment at a charter school where I go frequently, "The absence of despair is shocking." There are people who are trying to teach the young about high standards, Western civilization, and the power of education and autonomy. They... maybe I can say we now!... are fighting against the incredible odds you describe here: inertia, desperation, lack of hope, dependence. Watching the kids talk about the impending lack of food stamps was quite disturbing. The idea that the government should provide the food for black families is so deeply entrenched. But what I saw was responsible adults talking to the kids about how they needed to get an education so they could get a good job and provide for their own families. Every day we try. Your straight talk and insightful analysis helps me make sense of the world I live in and continue to find meaning in every day. Thank you.
Thank you for this. You described exactly what I was trying to name. Despair isn’t loud. It’s ambient. You feel it when you walk in.
Your observation about the absence of despair at the charter school is telling. Standards and expectations immediately change the emotional climate. That isn’t ideology. It’s structure.
We saw the same thing over the years with our own kids across homeschooling, charter, and public school. The difference was impossible to miss.
I really appreciate you taking the time to share this, and even more that you’re still doing the work every day.
Thank you my friend !
A great and very thoughtful analysis, Mr. Arnell! I have followed you for awhile now, but this post has compelled me to become a supporter.
“As systems grow more complex, opting out becomes unrealistic.” Yes – but it becomes the only viable choice! And this is one more reason why in our future society, we do not want complexity. It should be noted here that complexity goes hand-in-hand with centralization, and centralization goes hand-in-hand with consolidation (and usurpation!) of power – this is why we need to decentralize in order to survive as a civilization.