New York State Center for School Safety
|
Director's Message
September 2010
2008 New York State Center for School Safety
Dear Colleagues,
"Fear is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday." Quote from author Renata Adler, in The Associated Press.
Welcome back to an exciting new school year. Change is here, change is coming; let us not fear the change in our schools and in the lives of the young people we serve.
This summer I read the quote above in the July 30, 2010 edition of The Week, and while so abbreviated it could have been overlooked, it made me think about how impactful the simple statement really was in relation to happenings in our world and our schools.
Our fears of life are projected on what is to happen, not what has happened. How we respond to them tells us about the character of our will, and the connections we feel with others whose lives intersect with ours. Our fears may come from experiences of the past - sometimes real and practical- and sometimes unfounded. When my youngest son was quite young, his aunt told him about the bears in the woods outside her house to keep him from venturing onto the second floor balcony. Ten years later, as we traveled to her place, I assured him his aunt only told this story to keep him safe and away from the high railed area. Well, of course, when we arrived, his aunt proceeded to tell us of the bear who jiggled the door handle the previous week acting as if he lived in the house and someone locked him out! So the fear my son retained of the woods around his aunt's house may have represented a REASONABLE fear to have for self-preservation! However, that is not true of many of the fears we may have of what we have not yet confronted.
This summer we have heard of many fears of what was to happen. Some of them have included:
I challenge you to start this school year not in fear of what is coming, but in celebration for all that is to happen - to appreciate that which is familiar and that which is new. It is with the comfort of familiarity and the sense of wonder about exploring that which is new, that we are energized and part of the most important family of all - the family of life. Celebrate life, celebrate change, celebrate difference - it is what makes us human.
My best to you for a safe and successful year,
Mary Grenz Jalloh
"Fear is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday." Quote from author Renata Adler, in The Associated Press.
Welcome back to an exciting new school year. Change is here, change is coming; let us not fear the change in our schools and in the lives of the young people we serve.
This summer I read the quote above in the July 30, 2010 edition of The Week, and while so abbreviated it could have been overlooked, it made me think about how impactful the simple statement really was in relation to happenings in our world and our schools.
Our fears of life are projected on what is to happen, not what has happened. How we respond to them tells us about the character of our will, and the connections we feel with others whose lives intersect with ours. Our fears may come from experiences of the past - sometimes real and practical- and sometimes unfounded. When my youngest son was quite young, his aunt told him about the bears in the woods outside her house to keep him from venturing onto the second floor balcony. Ten years later, as we traveled to her place, I assured him his aunt only told this story to keep him safe and away from the high railed area. Well, of course, when we arrived, his aunt proceeded to tell us of the bear who jiggled the door handle the previous week acting as if he lived in the house and someone locked him out! So the fear my son retained of the woods around his aunt's house may have represented a REASONABLE fear to have for self-preservation! However, that is not true of many of the fears we may have of what we have not yet confronted.
This summer we have heard of many fears of what was to happen. Some of them have included:
- The fear of the impact of ensuring that all Americans have health insurance (we do not fear what the impact of NOT having insurance is - that is our current situation and as such, seems less "scary" even though the impact on our cost for catastrophic and emergency care and years of potential life lost is significant);
- The fear of who might be elected to office in our upcoming elections - whether it is the fear of who may have been encouraged to run noting the success of our country electing the first African American president, or the fear of those who may have been encouraged to run based on the promotion of a conservative agenda by a "middle America soccer mom";
- The fear of those who cross our borders, to the degree that we are inching toward repressive laws that rival the "passbook" laws of South Africa during apartheid - if you look and/or sound "different" (which translates to anyone non-white and with an accent), you are to be feared;
- The fear of the existence of a religious institution by street location in New York City, despite the fact that NYC clearly represents the diversity of the First Amendment and a foundational principle of our country, the freedom of religious expression;
- The fear of who is able to claim to the covenant of marriage, and carry with them the rights and responsibilities of that legal bond;
- The fear of change in our educational practices which will make us rethink how we interface with each other in the educational setting, and how we take collective responsibility for the education of our youth.
I challenge you to start this school year not in fear of what is coming, but in celebration for all that is to happen - to appreciate that which is familiar and that which is new. It is with the comfort of familiarity and the sense of wonder about exploring that which is new, that we are energized and part of the most important family of all - the family of life. Celebrate life, celebrate change, celebrate difference - it is what makes us human.
My best to you for a safe and successful year,
Mary Grenz Jalloh