The Battle Begins.

So another battle wages in my world. I didn't go looking for it but it came to my doorstep. That's not to say, that the choices were clear for me, but a choice had to be made. This battle is helping me learn some very valuable lessons.

I can't go into specific details yet, but suffice it to say the Gremlin Principal has launched an attack against me, for the simple reason that I will not be silenced. And rather than take it, the super hero in me is launching a counter attack. The union is becoming involved.

The first lesson I learned is that I will not prostrate myself blindly to tyranny. The second lesson I learned is that I have many allies. It is humbling to find so many people rallying around me, equally outraged and willing to fight the good fight.

For those of you who know me and have been reading my blog for a while, you know the kind of untenable situation we work in at a school plagued by dictatorial and incompetent leadership. Staff from all ranks and students alike have reached the saturation point; and this latest targeting of me has been the straw that broke the camel's back.

I'm not being targeted because I am not doing an outstanding job, or because I am not an expert in my field, or because I have not made a lot of positive changes, or because I have not created an environment of collegiality and communication. I'm being targeted because I am outspoken. And that, my friends, is unacceptable in a society that prides itself on equity, freedom of speech, and inclusiveness.

The very way our school is being run has caused bloody revolutions in countries, has caused sit-ins and protests, and United Nations interventions. None of these extreme measures will apply here, but a battle is being waged with the tools of a "civilized" society.

I had a choice. Swallow this bitter pill, say nothing, do nothing, and allow the Principal to continue along her draconian path. Or. Take up the banner, gather my troops, and march headlong into the fight for liberty, justice and pursuit of unfettered education.

It is my duty as an educator, a proponent of critical thinking, mindful living and responsible action, to model this behaviour. If I were to lie down and allow myself to be run over by the freight train that is the administration, I might as well quit my job and sell butt plugs. I would not be worthy to stand before the young and claim to guide them into adulthood. I would be a sham. And that is not who I am.

That is not who I am.

Alliance Creative

(click to enlarge)

It's funny how things seem to fall into place when you finally know what it is you really want and where you really want to go.

Today through Jamie's wonderful book club of 12 Secrets , we are asked to ponder on our Alliances, our Power Teams, real or projected.

I am in the process of creating a Power Team for a project I am envisioning. I call it Alliance Creative. It's a project that will infuse new life into the education system for administrators, teachers and students alike.

I strongly believe that the major stumbling blocks to progress are lack of creativity, an inability to think outside the box, and a reluctance to take chances. Once those obstacles are set aside, and this wonderfully empowering energy is released, the sky is the limit.

What does this dream team consist of?

Women and men who are committed to their own creativity. People who love to inspire others in the pursuit of their "dreams" without judgement or imposition, but with encouragement and acceptance. People who smile in the face of resistance, for there will be lots of it, and use its momentum to create change. People who can voice their opinions and be able to meld them with that of others to create a unified whole.

I picture a light-filled room with this Alliance Creative gathered. Our tools are big blank sheets and crayons, as we map the vision of the future. A future unfettered by past practices, and "this is the way we have always done things" or "when I was in school". A future that takes the technology offered us, and all the valuable non-technological tools of the past, and molds a new vision of what learning is.

The color of this future is not based on the shade of the skin, but the nuance of the palate. The shape of the future is not one dictated by Vogue but one engendered from the vortex of incredible power that lies within each and every one of us.

Alliance Creative is not driven by ego, or the need for fame and fortune, but my the altruistic need to fill this world with people in touch with their creativity, happy with their lives, and committed to the creativity and happiness of others.

This might sound like science fiction, but all the great science fiction authors predicted the future accurately. It begins with my vision, but the vision will be complete after Alliance Creative gets together the first time, and begins the drafting the blueprints.

Who will take the call? I don't know, but I am convinced it will be splendid.

Because, change happens one step at a time. :)