Pay your money and ride the ride –
As with many other things this summer, carnival rides and amusement parks may not be available, or will be very limited. But I have vivid memories of the music playing over the loudspeakers, the smell of the popcorn, and the screams and gasps of people as they rode their favorite roller coaster. At least one trip to a local carnival or Lakeside or Elitch Gardens was a summer requirement and much anticipated.
Money was saved up or doled out by parents and tickets purchased. Then we made the careful decisions about how to use the tickets and which rides to do first. Enjoying these youthful moments we had no idea that we were practicing for many of life’s decisions, such as how to use our paychecks wisely and when to splurge a bit for sheer freedom and joy.
As it turns out, this year is very much like the (not so) fun house and it feels like we are stuck inside. The lights flicker on and off as we try to understand the issues and dangers. We see our lives distorted by the wavy mirrors that give information but exaggerated, embarrassing and hilarious.
We try to find the exit but more passageways open up and there are slides and barrels to traverse. But as we found out in Kindergarten, if we hold hands and keep moving we will finally get to the end, laughing and with a big sense of relief. Ready to go again? Or ready to move on to another challenge? And finally, out of tickets and exhausted it is time to go home, filled with a summer of memories.
Fast-forward to the summer of 2020 – School changed this year and was way too much like that blasted (not so) fun house. The rules were hazy and distorted. Isolation was required and left many feeling stranded. With feelings of helplessness and frustration there was little option except to hold on and keep searching for the best passageways for teachers, families, and children.
Schools are still searching for the exit as the realization dawns that things will never go back completely. It is now time for Delta Kappa Gamma to bravely step forward with solid ideas and solutions. I don’t recall a time in my lifetime when people were more open to innovation and creativity to solving the issues of safe distancing, careful sanitation, remediation, and achievement for students.
Our membership is a rich resource of ideas and experiences that need to be dusted off, measured and evaluated, and shared widely. One of the major advantages of belonging to a professional organization is the opportunity to share problems and to search together for solutions. That is why we meet in local groups, larger statewide conferences, and even larger International conventions. That is why we continue to take coursework and workshops. We are trained and able to solve some issues by ourselves. Other problems require more resources and commitment than one person can supply.
The systemic issues of poverty, changing demographics, limited budgets, distance from resources, and fragmented families, that plague schools, will only be solved by facing them together. Taking our cue from those children lost in the fun house, we need to link arms, encourage one another, laugh a bit, and speak out for education.
You purchased your ticket to the park with your education program and degree. You joined the organization and promised Delta Kappa Gamma to promote excellence in education. Will you ride the ride and come collaborate with your teacher sisters? You are needed and yes it will make a difference if you come or if you leave us stranded, still searching.
You paid your money, will you ride this ride?
Leila