I've heard that Arnie Duncan is a baller.
That's black folk speak for "he can play basketball."
Whether this is literally true or not; I don't know. I've never seen him play. I do know Duncan and Obama used to play together here in Chicago. But does he have a game? Who knows. But Arnie Duncan is a tall guy, he looks like he's in pretty decent shape, so I'm inclined to give our Secretary of Education the benefit of the doubt.
This weekend, I had the unique pleasure of wading through the minutia of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Fun. Fun. Fun. Can someone please explain to me why all Federal legislation is virtually incomprehensible? I mean...everyone is DC is a lawyer! Seriously. Go to DC and check it out. Your senator? A lawyer. Congressman? A lawyer. Hotel concierge? Underemployed lawyer. Cab driver? Unemployed lawyer. So why is it that finding someone in DC to construct a basic sentence is so hard? I thought the ability to write was a prerequisite to passing the bar exam. I guess times are a changing.
In any event, as I waded though rhetoric and conditions, qualified by caveats and assurances, sports metaphors kept racing through my mind. (Maybe it was because I was watching the Final Four while trying to figure out where all of this money was going). After spending hours reading, cross-checking, extrapolating and analyzing, I thought to myself....I think I know what Obama and Duncan really want to say here but can't. It would be...uncouth. But when you break ARRA down, when you get to the heart of the matter after all of the regulatory gobbly-gook, what I think they want to say is:
Rethink everything.
Or to use a basketball metaphor, I could see Arnie Duncan standing in the lane like Shaq, guarding the hoop (or in this case, a $5 billion dollar fund that he controls) like a hawk, saying to school boards, superintendents, school districts and principals from sea to shining sea: Bring it! Show me what you've got. You've got some money, but I want to know what you did, how you did it, and what you came up with that's new. And don't even TRY to come into the lane with some soft, tired, unoriginal retread masked as reform. If you do, I will knock that weak garbage back in your face. Come strong or not at all.
Show me something!
A true baller is also a shot caller. A shot caller is someone who will tell you what they're going to do before they do it, dare you to stop it, and then do it. Jordan was the ultimate shot caller. I'll never forget one game where Dekembe Mutombo of the finger wagging fame was playing one of his typically annoying "I-just-blocked-your-shot-so-I'm-going-to-wag-my-finger-in-your-face" games against the Bulls. Jordan was fouled and walked to the free throw line. He yelled: "HEY MUTOMBO," closed is eyes, dribbled the ball and proceed to make the free throw with his eyes closed.
Yeah baby!!
THAT'S a shot caller!!
And THAT'S what we need in education.
With an unprecedented 5 BILLION dollar fund in his back pocket, $5 billion that schools will only get for showing innovative instructional practices, it's as though Duncan and Obama are daring the shot callers to step up. Shot callers are doers. Shot callers are innovators. Shot callers are Don Quixote; people who dream the impossible dream. People like my girl Ginger Lewman knocking it out of the park at Turning Point Learning Center doing GREAT things with GREAT people in the heartland of Kansas. People like Kelly Tenkely, rocking it out with a website on technology integration that you can actually use, creating something with her hands, her mind and her passion for absolutely no money that is of use and value to anyone, anywhere, anytime. People like my guy Korbus who is, I think, writing a primer for the educational uses of laptops for, like, all of South Africa.
Shot callers.
So you know I think? I think if I were a board member, superintendent, principal or a teacher in the trenches, I wouldn't be satisfied with that first wave of stimulus money. That's basically back fill and catch up money. I would want want more. That 5 billion Duncan has? That my money. I would call my shot. I've got kids who need me, parents who depend on me and 5 billion reasons to bring it; to come up with something new; something strong, something truly innovative.
So at the end of the day, don't fixate on the words of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (Unless, of course, you're a lawyer and you like doing that sort of stuff). Focus on the meaning. And what is the meaning? That the status quo is not good enough. Come strong. Bring it like Jordan. Come get this money. But don't do it for yourself. Do it for your kids. Because they need you. Because if you don't do it, who will?
So create.
Think outside of the box.
Fight for the future of your kids.
Innovate.
Rethink everything.
I'm sending a shout out to all of the ballers and shot callers.
We've got a MAJOR one-time infusion of new funding. Kudos to Obama and Congress. But more is waiting.
Bring it!
Show Duncan and Obama what you've got. Show the world what you've got.
We're watching......
Waiting.......
That's black folk speak for "he can play basketball."
Whether this is literally true or not; I don't know. I've never seen him play. I do know Duncan and Obama used to play together here in Chicago. But does he have a game? Who knows. But Arnie Duncan is a tall guy, he looks like he's in pretty decent shape, so I'm inclined to give our Secretary of Education the benefit of the doubt.
***************
This weekend, I had the unique pleasure of wading through the minutia of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Fun. Fun. Fun. Can someone please explain to me why all Federal legislation is virtually incomprehensible? I mean...everyone is DC is a lawyer! Seriously. Go to DC and check it out. Your senator? A lawyer. Congressman? A lawyer. Hotel concierge? Underemployed lawyer. Cab driver? Unemployed lawyer. So why is it that finding someone in DC to construct a basic sentence is so hard? I thought the ability to write was a prerequisite to passing the bar exam. I guess times are a changing.
In any event, as I waded though rhetoric and conditions, qualified by caveats and assurances, sports metaphors kept racing through my mind. (Maybe it was because I was watching the Final Four while trying to figure out where all of this money was going). After spending hours reading, cross-checking, extrapolating and analyzing, I thought to myself....I think I know what Obama and Duncan really want to say here but can't. It would be...uncouth. But when you break ARRA down, when you get to the heart of the matter after all of the regulatory gobbly-gook, what I think they want to say is:
Rethink everything.
Or to use a basketball metaphor, I could see Arnie Duncan standing in the lane like Shaq, guarding the hoop (or in this case, a $5 billion dollar fund that he controls) like a hawk, saying to school boards, superintendents, school districts and principals from sea to shining sea: Bring it! Show me what you've got. You've got some money, but I want to know what you did, how you did it, and what you came up with that's new. And don't even TRY to come into the lane with some soft, tired, unoriginal retread masked as reform. If you do, I will knock that weak garbage back in your face. Come strong or not at all.
Show me something!
***************
A true baller is also a shot caller. A shot caller is someone who will tell you what they're going to do before they do it, dare you to stop it, and then do it. Jordan was the ultimate shot caller. I'll never forget one game where Dekembe Mutombo of the finger wagging fame was playing one of his typically annoying "I-just-blocked-your-shot-so-I'm-going-to-wag-my-finger-in-your-face" games against the Bulls. Jordan was fouled and walked to the free throw line. He yelled: "HEY MUTOMBO," closed is eyes, dribbled the ball and proceed to make the free throw with his eyes closed.
Yeah baby!!
THAT'S a shot caller!!
And THAT'S what we need in education.
With an unprecedented 5 BILLION dollar fund in his back pocket, $5 billion that schools will only get for showing innovative instructional practices, it's as though Duncan and Obama are daring the shot callers to step up. Shot callers are doers. Shot callers are innovators. Shot callers are Don Quixote; people who dream the impossible dream. People like my girl Ginger Lewman knocking it out of the park at Turning Point Learning Center doing GREAT things with GREAT people in the heartland of Kansas. People like Kelly Tenkely, rocking it out with a website on technology integration that you can actually use, creating something with her hands, her mind and her passion for absolutely no money that is of use and value to anyone, anywhere, anytime. People like my guy Korbus who is, I think, writing a primer for the educational uses of laptops for, like, all of South Africa.
Shot callers.
So you know I think? I think if I were a board member, superintendent, principal or a teacher in the trenches, I wouldn't be satisfied with that first wave of stimulus money. That's basically back fill and catch up money. I would want want more. That 5 billion Duncan has? That my money. I would call my shot. I've got kids who need me, parents who depend on me and 5 billion reasons to bring it; to come up with something new; something strong, something truly innovative.
So at the end of the day, don't fixate on the words of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (Unless, of course, you're a lawyer and you like doing that sort of stuff). Focus on the meaning. And what is the meaning? That the status quo is not good enough. Come strong. Bring it like Jordan. Come get this money. But don't do it for yourself. Do it for your kids. Because they need you. Because if you don't do it, who will?
So create.
Think outside of the box.
Fight for the future of your kids.
Innovate.
Rethink everything.
*****************
I'm sending a shout out to all of the ballers and shot callers.
We've got a MAJOR one-time infusion of new funding. Kudos to Obama and Congress. But more is waiting.
Bring it!
Show Duncan and Obama what you've got. Show the world what you've got.
We're watching......
Waiting.......
Call your shot.
Posts
4 comments:
I'm flattered to be ranked among you shot callers - will try to live up to it. Sometimes the voice calling the shots is rather thin, or is calling against thunder, or is not answered - none of these should deter anyone who has a clear target to stop calling the shots.
Wow, I am completely humbled that you would mention my name as a shot caller. Thank you. Each of us can have a place in the story, it is up to us to hold the vision and fight the good fight.
Now to go find the video of Jordan on You Tube... :)
This is another excellent piece of writing from you! I truly appreciate the folks you mentioned and their resources. By the way Ginger and TPLC do rock!!
Education needs the "shot callers" and they too need to be recognized as you have done here with 3 great choices.
Thanks man. I read this to my kids and I teared up, voice breaking, doing it. I asked them what we write back.
Thank you!
That was insightful.
Great words! Thanks for the shout-out.
A person can only call shots if my kids are willing to put the effort forward. We're moving ahead and learning together.
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