All organizations and every nation require guiding principles. Rules that are more principled than the mere will of fickle humans. We agree to make laws that prevent power from tuning into tyranny. That includes the tyranny of the majority.
Local Educational News will also require a constitution. The editors, reporters, financiers and other individual must swear to obey the principles that will inform and empower the public. In turn the public must also respect the rights of individual and minorities in their expression of opinion and ideas.
The forum for this journalistic experiment will try to be open marketplace of ideas. A marketplace where media monopoly owned by elites will be dismantled by the quality of the ideas. Ideas will be rise to the top by virtue of its merits not by financial dominance.
As I write this I am visiting my family are watching TV and 10 nephew and nieces are playing with new toys. The parents all tired from work and relaxing for the holidays. I feel that most people cannot spare the time or energy to read about their schools much less participate in writing about their schools.
While talking to my cousin about education, he said, “It’s all to overwhelming.” And he is right. National, state and local regulations combined with sociological and cultural phenomena can only be penetrated with a great deal of work.
But this is why I want this project to succeed. I want this information to be more accessible and consumable, yet not dumb-downed. That way we can talk about education. If there can be meaningful dialogue then there might be meaningful progress.
Ironically, all the adult members of my family have a degree and most have a graduate degree. I shudder to think how people with fewer resources can cope with educational decisions.
So what does this have to do with a constitution? Nothing really. But untangling the massive ball of education I begin to realize there is more than one thread.
I don’t want to be the sole author of a constitution for several reasons. The main reason is that I cannot do it alone.
The funny thing is that we will need to set some ground rules for making the rules. Any suggestions?
Next week I’ll propose some of my own.
2 comments:
I might suggest calling it the "Student's Bill of Rights"... or the "Education Bill of Rights" if the former is taken.
"Student bill of rights" is taken by the ACLU. However, I was thinking more about the citizen journalism project as distinct from the educational system.
It's more about how we should run the news organization than what the public should expect of the school system.
I am working on this project as part of my masters program so I'll be forced to flesh it out more soon.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Glad you had a chance to read some of it.
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