Initiating Change

It’s our education; do we control it?

I’ll admit it; I am relatively new to the “grassroots movement” scene. I have never really considered myself a political activist as much as simply a concerned citizen. However, I do feel that I have a few important qualities. I am passionate and opinionated for what I believe are the right reasons, but that is almost beside the point.

The point is I can understand if you are not so sure about becoming active in your community or even if you feel insignificant in the grand scheme of the system. I, too, have felt intimidated. We must remember though, that some of the most noteworthy movements in the history of the world and the United States have originated by people who seemed to have no power, no say, no rights, and no standing whatsoever. It was only several decades ago that African-Americans and women spoke out and acted out to ignite momentous changes that we now feel in everyday life in the twenty-first century.

Now more than ever, students have the means (ourselves), the medium (the internet), and the drive (our discontent) to make a difference. If there is one rallying cry that can motivate us, it is this important phrase: in unity there is strength.

Individually, we may feel weak and insignificant, but together we can be a revolutionary force. Divided, we are simply the gears that run the machine. Collectively, we are the driving mechanism of the machine, without which the machine would be reduced to futility.

Around the country, school administrations may be the ones who develop the ineffective programs, but the problem is not in their actions, it is in their motivation. Schools put new programs into place in the hopes of best adhering to the federal stipulations in documents such as NCLB. Motivation comes in the form of funding, as those institutions that do follow the legislation best receive the most monetary support. If students render said programs unsuccessful, the schools will have to respond to our demands by exercising their power not downward upon us, but upward upon those who have even more power.

This, in essence, is the goal of our budding movement. However, the only way we can achieve this and other goals is by becoming one. There is truth in the phrase, in unity there is strength, and it is that phrase that we must constantly bear in mind. If change is truly going be initiated, it will only happen with more people involved. That is the first step. So spread the word, and remember the address, ItsOurEducation.blogspot.com.