Amy M. Schaefer
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From the Front Porch

I am an "accidental blogger". When I launched my writing career in March of 2014, one of the things that I decided to include was my journaling, which I have always found to be a comforting and therapeutic endeavor.  It was a big risk to open myself up in such a public forum, but it has taught me that, for the most part, we share far more experiences than we think. It's comforting to know I'm not alone!  (*the "Button Text" is the link to my first novel)
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Philosophical Musings

4/6/2016

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Image from davidbain.org
Our current School Superintendent has a philosophy of, "When we know better, we do better." I've had this stuck in my head for days and it strikes me how completely applicable this is not only to matters of education (someone should send that memo to our legislators), but also life in general. As a veteran teacher and I spoke today, we discussed at length the state of teachers around the country and their constant, seemingly on-going battle with politicians. Why the process of educating our youth has been allowed to become a political pawn is beyond my comprehension. At the end of the day, the most important thing ANY society can do is properly educate its youth. Anything less is detrimental to  the well-being of all people as a whole. And standardized testing does not demonstrate how effective a teacher has been, nor how much a student has learned (...there is tons of research backing that up from extremely credible sources. *See the video below for an example of this, or dig up your own if you're so inclined.).

Beyond the classroom, the philosophy of "When we know better, we do better" permeates just about every facet of daily life. From the toddler who learns touch the hot stove and you get burned so, don't touch the hot stove, to the teen who quickly learns how easily the heart breaks and is more tentative going into relationships, once "we" learn better ways of doing almost anything, we implement them (...well, most of the time). Imagine, if you will, a world where we follow through on this at a much grander scale, i.e. knowing better sources of clean energy and switching to them (instead of being held hostage by industries that would prefer this never happened because it would mean their demise), or how to help every person on the globe feed him or herself, so that no one goes hungry. Ever. (Some people would call this a socialism idea, however to my mind it is a no-brainer humanitarian one!)

I am happy to have someone who believes in a better way at the helm of education in our county. I only wish that so many others would stay OUT of the way of true progress, real change, and doing what is best for our nation's youth (including ensuring students have well-trained, well paid educators who are supported in doing their jobs and treated with respect). As for the politicians, education is not your campaign slogan, your bargaining chip, nor is it your pawn to play at will in order to improve or sway public opinion. Education is the backbone of every citizen within your "realm". The decisions you make about or for it directly affect our future.
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    About The Author

    I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter.

    Since then, I have learned to reach well beyond what I ever dared to think was possible. I've learned not to allow fear to stop me from whatever future I want to create!

    What keeps me grounded? My Tribe! What provides the wind beneath my wings? A well of reserves filled with unstoppable passion!

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  • Amy M. Schaefer, Writer
  • Blog: From the Front Porch
  • Novels
  • Short Stories
    • Children's Books
  • About the Author
  • Contact
  • Photo & Art Gallery