Well why not! It all started on the first day Sebastian went to our little neighborhood public school and became a kindergartener 5 years ago.
A first-generation immigrant parent, I had very little idea about how the US public schools operate, if the school will ever need any help from parents like me or how I could be of any help. Not knowing answers to these questions, I explored my way slowly around our school.
Over years and through various positions, I learned all kinds of things about school operations, parent engagement, the function of the Parent-Teacher-Association (PTA), and most importantly the challenges we are all facing like involving parents to contribute effectively, so we help to create a better education for our children together.
2020 brought the issues that urged me to think about those unanswered questions when we first started our journey with the public schools. Even after the 8 months working in the Building Leadership Team, I can’t say that I know exactly how the school system operates, but I do have a better idea now on how the parents can help.
I realized the space to have the on-going deep dialogue between the schools and the majority of families is nonexistent. The reality is: all of us want the best education for our children, but how can we possibly get that if the system doesn't know what are important to us, all of us?
In what possible ways can people get a chance or channel to have these conversations? In what possible ways can these conversation be shared with other parents who are just like us?
These are the reasons that I am exploring using Podcast as a channel for great conversations like this and making it accessible for the greater parent community. The more parents share their voices, the more the public will learn about us and what our concerns are, and hopefully the closer we are to find solutions that make sense to us all.
Rocket Ship represents the US public school system in the 70s.
According to the director of the film “Waiting for Superman”, David Guggenheim, our public school system was the best in the world back then just like what Rocket Ship represents: our hope and future, technological advancement, and leading the world. All the other countries learned to create their public school system from us.
Duct tape can be a very effective way to fix things as temporary solution that doesn’t mean to last. It is now unfortunately a common way to deal with many education system issues in our country. On the bright side, duct tape also represents creative spirit in solving problems in life. It takes creativity and innovation to tackle big challenges like our public school system.
No system can do better or feel the need to improve without listening to their customers - the majority of parents and their family.
If we remain silent about our hopes, wishes as well as worries and concerns, we certainly shouldn’t expect our school system change on its own. That’s just not how it works.
I started this season by interviewing friends and family either with or without their own personal experience in the US public schools. But one thing in common among all my guests is that they have experienced our public schools with their children and speak about that experience as a comparison to their own and what they know now.
We created this space for you, the parents of the public schools.
Join us and share your stories about your own educational experiences regardless which system you experienced as a child, and what's on your mind now about your own children's education.
Diverse backgrounds from various systems and different regions even countries from our audiences are what we are looking for. By sharing your stories, insights on what works and what doesn’t, we will learn collectively about the changes we are seeking, and the direction we want to go for the betterment of the whole.
Your stories matter.
To be my guest on the show, click here and leave me a message. We’ll reach out to you shortly. Thank you.
