Whitewater Educational Referendum Post 3: An Invitation

Like so many others in Whitewater, I am a believer in both proper schooling and lifelong learning.  My father and uncle first introduced me to campus life when I was still a small boy. 

Years later, I had the pleasure of their visits to campus when I was a student.  On those visits, my father enjoyed walking with me through the university’s main library, with long row upon long row of many generations’ works, reminding me of both the hope and humility that accumulated learning suggests. 

After this referendum, however it may end, our schools will have an ongoing task ahead: What will we teach, and how will we teach it?  One may consider this the broad curriculum, of academics, athletics, and the arts. 

In this sincere spirit, I have an invitation to extend to the administrators, teachers, and supporters of education in this community:

I’ll offer this space, for an ongoing written discussion of topics of our schools’ broader curriculum.  We may each pick a set of topics we’d like: I would suggest a few topics, and any number of others may choose topics they’d like to discuss. 

Each topic’s discussion could continue, in post and reply, throughout a week.  One person begins, another replies, and that’s how the conversation goes: post, reply, further replies, back & forth during a week, on a designated topic.

Examples of written discussions like this are available online from the Cato Institute and at the Wall Street Journal in discussions of books, for example. 

Our discussion would be as important as any of those.  We, in Whitewater, can do just as well in conversation as, if not better than, anyone in those publications. 

There are so many in Whitewater who care about education as education, as subjects of study and the teaching to advance them.  Are you not tired of politicking, of finance-driven discussions, and shabby public-relations efforts to boost one statistic or another?  Isn’t learning more than that, more than peddling?

Make no mistake, a New Whitewater is inevitable.  There are years yet ahead in its progress, but there’s no going back.  The future writes the history of the present; it won’t be written in the language or from the viewpoint of a few clinging only to past practices and ideas.

Of our district administration, faculty, and all residents who support education, I’d ask: why not join in a forward-looking discussion on what matters most?

We can pick a time after this referendum to begin: what’s at stake is even bigger than an election.  I have, as do so many others in town, the patience of conviction. 

Members of our community will, I’ve no doubt, have this discussion.  Why not have it together?  We will do better together, one can be quite sure.

I’ll be here, available for scheduling that substantive discussion, waiting patiently just a click away:

adams@freewhitewater.com.

Previously: Whitewater Educational Referendum Post 1: Overall Politics and Whitewater Educational Referendum Post 2: Local Campaign.