Haven’t we all wondered this? Is this even the right question to be asking?
As parents, we care, worry and ponder about an endless list of issues with regard to our children’s well-being. From safety and health to spiritual and moral development – the decisions we face daily can be daunting unless we have clarity around our purpose and beliefs.
The topics of “education” and “school” seem to be the hot buttons that bring these issues to a piercing focal point. The litany of questions and confused looks we received when we first began talking about Acton Academy had me holding my breath at times. It was a tad frightening for me to row against the cultural currents within which I had lived comfortably for so long.
The time of holding my breath is over. I now exhale slowly and easily because I know we are on the right track. We are not only on it, we are paving it.
You may know this in your gut as an Acton parent because you have seen the joy of learning in your child’s eyes, but it does help to read data and notes for some personal confirmation. Please enjoy an example of such confirmation in the following piece by New York Times Op-Ed columnist, Thomas Friedman. Our middle schooler Ana’s mom shared it with me with a note saying, “An incredible read that basically describes Acton.” It may just help us all ask the right questions about what we hope our children will be able to do in the future: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/opinion/sunday/friedman-need-a-job-invent-it.html