“We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For”

Earlier this month I gave a keynote address at the NCLB Illinois State Conference in Chicago. I honored the work of teachers, administrators and parents who are excited and passionate about finding new ways to do the important work of preparing our kids for their future.

I asked the audience if they believed education would change over the next ten years. The response was an overwhelming YES. Then I asked if they believed it would change if we did anything about it or not… once again a resounding YES. Then I told them, “It is imperative change comes from the inside of education, where knowledge of the learner drives the decision-making process, not a political agenda or election platform”. I believe each of us can participate in reforming the No Child Left Behind legislation in our own way. Change comes one student at a time, one lesson at a time, and one decision at a time. I challenged them to find ways to influence the reauthorization of NCLB as a powerful group and as individuals. This is our time, and we can make a difference. We, as educators, have the knowledge, experience and wisdom to improve our educational system. “We are the one we have been waiting for”.

I proposed several Effective Design Strategies:

Look to the Visible Future and ask, What are we missing? Think back and look forward. Think back on what you know but always look forward to possibilities for positive change.

Act on Changes that are Affecting your Future by identifying trends that are affecting you today and will effect you tomorrow. “It is easier to ride a horse in the direction it is going.”

Learn to Fail Fast but Don’t Fail to Learn because no one knows all the answers. Innovation requires risk to produce success. The key is to “fail forward” by learning from our mistakes.

Adopt the Philosophy of Organized Abandonment because refusing to accept what is not working can consume time and energy from other successful endeavors. “If the horse is dead, get off”.

I challenge all of us to take this unique opportunity to help with the reauthorization of NCLB anyway we can.

Ask Yourself:

• How can I as an individual affect change in NCLB legislation?


• How can we as a school influence writers of this legislation?


• Do I belong to any education or citizen groups whom I could influence to add their voice to produce change?


• Do I believe education will change wither I do anything about or not?

Websites you may want to visit:

No Child Left Behind - ED.gov
Reauthorization of No Child Left Behind · See the administration's proposals for reauthorizing No Child Left Behind. Find fact sheets, videos of NCLB ...
www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

No Child Left Behind Reauthorization
Secretary Spellings said that legislation proposed by Senator Lamar ... President Bush spoke about the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind …
www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/reauth/index.html

An Unlikely Partnership Left Behind - washingtonpost.com
Nov 5, 2007 ... Ten months later, the optimism has vanished and the campaign to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind education law has bogged down. ...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2007/11/04/AR2007110401450.html