We don't have to wait for destiny, we should be the change that we want to see...

I know that you've spent all day wondering what possibly could have caused me to need a five hour nap yesterday and to miss Eminem winning Grammy number 12 -- luckily I woke up in time for win number 13 -- well, wonder no more, wildcats.  I spent this past weekend in DC visiting some of my very best friends from graduate school who were attending Teach for America's 20th Anniversary Summit.  I didn't attend the conference (by the time I decided to go it was sold out), and instead spent the day with my best friend and Wellesley big sister, Lauren, at Sidwell Friends School -- a very different kind of school than the ones I typically spend time in -- which was lovely.  In addition, I got to hang out with some of my very favorite educators, and, in doing so, had the chance to be reminded of a couple of things; (1) teachers are really fun and (2) sometimes I forget to that I'm so lucky to be working toward educational equality with such a smart, innovative and dedicated group of people.

I work in and study education reform because I, like Teach for America, believe that one day all children will be able to attain an excellent education.  However, when you work in a broken system, one piled high with bureaucracy and inefficiency, and bursting with well-intentioned people who don't know how to make change, it can be very easy to feel like one day is impossibly far away.  It is also too easy to treat the people around you like they are the problem and to forget that they, often times, are searching as fiercely as you are for a solution.  In my frustration with the slow pace of change, and my desperation to reach all students right now, I am nearly always guilty of blaming teachers, administrators and support staff for not trying hard enough, or not knowing what to do.  Although I will steadfastly refuse to put the needs of adults ahead of the needs of students, Camika Royal words this weekend remind me that when it comes to one day, we are all in this together.

Reflections: Camika Royal (Baltimore '99) from TFA 20th Anniversary Summit on Vimeo.

Teachers are the key to education reform -- the single most important factor in fixing our schools is getting a high quality teacher in every single classroom.  Teaching is hard, and great teaching is all-consuming, nearly impossible work.  But, as Camika says, in order for our students to do and be better, our teachers must do and be better.

Spending the weekend with some of the very best teachers and (current and future) leaders in education -- those who already are better -- was uplifting, inspiring and motivating.  These beacons, who I am fortunate to call friends, made me think that maybe one day isn't so far away after all.

John Legend Performs from TFA 20th Anniversary Summit on Vimeo.

xo kate