I did not want to have this discussion over at the “pissed off parent” post, because I did not want to detract from the points being made on education, but I’m trying to find a way to both empower local voices here, and keep this a civil, intellectual space. I’d love to have your thoughts on how to do that.

I believe it’s important to be civil, but believe that the tie-breaker should always go to a community member, even if they express exclusion by being “pissed off.” Here’s why:

There are different cultural modes of expression, and when we start choosing between them, we start privileging different groups. The language of exclusion is embedded in the Scott Gordon quotes at the end of the Phil Dunn article. In that article Scott Gordon “dismissed” his critics. 

It’s been my experience that dismissal is often a cultural decision. Policy-makers, academics, politicians all have their own language, with its own expectations. Those who don’t have training or experience in that particular language can struggle to have their voice heard. 

So I lean towards sharing angry thoughts here. In the education sphere, that often means anger about charters. My hope is that there will be more back and forth. At one point the District submitted a guest post (it was, sadly, a press release, not intellectual engagement), and we had our first pro-charter comment a few weeks back as well. I hope to see more of that as readership grows.

But I’ve also been critical in my view of the District, and I understand that attracts other critical voices. That’s natural, particularly at a time when the politics, from the state on down, line up. When one side has the power, money and access to tell their story in the media, the other side has to find new ways to share.  

So, in my own little way here, I try to provide space for even “pissed off” parents. It’s a way to avoid exclusion based upon cultural differences, and a way to help counter my own bias. I try to make my first bias towards hearing through cultural noise, and understanding where such frustration is coming from. 

Think I should do it differently? Feel free to write me an angry note. I’m still learning.