A (Mostly) Visual Update

Past, Present, & Future

In lieu of elaborate writing and verbose parables, tonight I have opted for an update composed almost entirely of images. And so it commences:

I returned from Spain last week. It was an enlightening, eye-opening, and extremely fun experience.

I apologize for the lack of updates. Like I’ve said before, I’m swamped with other commitments but I’m doing my best. The meeting, which I was unable to fully summarize before I left, was a success.

It was a milestone for all of us, and now that the expectation has been raised astronomically, I know that progress is anticipated.

In the meantime, between my return and now, I managed to send “thank you” e-mails to both the state and federal officials from the initial meeting. I hope to remain in contact with either one or both of them.

However I want to reiterate that I can not reach our goals by myself; I need the help of every concerned student. Do anything you can.

As for what is happening in the immediate future, I have the following information to relay. I will meet with various officials on Wednesday, along with a few other students, in order to discuss the problems of and suggest improvements for the actual software of our current portfolio system.

The future is bright, and I hope that more and more people associate themselves into activism as time goes on. I feel that together we can make a change and this is evidenced by the fact that we are in the middle of progress right now. Think about it – the regional representative from the federal Department of Education was at your high school discussing your issues.

The worst course of action for us as students to take would be to stop and become dormant. We must continue to increase our volume and continue to be heard. Remember, I am not alone, and I cannot solve this problem by myself. In fact, a solution will not come about without collaboration and cooperation between students of every background. One person can only do so much. Masses of people are required to truly make a difference.

Student, Westerly High School

All it took for Uncle Sam to find me

…or at least that and my name. Thursday, the twenty-ninth of March seemed innocuous, harmless, the same as any other typical day of the week. First period passed, uneventful and uninteresting. Second period subsided, a testament to normalcy. I proceeded to plod across the walkway, teased by a guise of New England spring.

Barely through the door into my third period class, I was greeted by a message that I had been called down to the office. (I would later discover that I was called down as "Theodore J. Capaldi," the name with which I signed the letter) So, after dropping my books and jacket, I traversed downstairs to the principal's office, anxiety increasingly disrupting my demeanor. Confusion, apprehension, and uncertainty crept in with every step I took toward the office.

As I sunk down into the seat, I immediately noticed the school resource officer seated over to the left. All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind, yet I remained composed. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble," were the first words from the principal's mouth, lifting what felt like thousands of pounds from my shoulders. Still, the purpose of the visit stood unclear.

Right away she mentioned a letter to Senator Reed. Surely, she was referring to the letter that I had posted on this blog on the previous Monday night - the entry directly below this one. However, this baffled me, because I had not even mailed the letter at this point, and the idea that my school principal had been browsing my anti-PBGR blog seemed a bit farfectch'd.

Through the discussion that followed, the three of us in the office concluded that my letter had been unearthed by some government agency. (Editor's Note: In fact, however, we were wrong - the representative from the USDOE actually discovered it himself) The principal informed me that the the United States Department of Education (USDOE) had contacted the Superintendent of Westerly Public Schools regarding my letter. Furthermore, they had expressed interest in sending a representative to meet with me to discuss the contents of the letter, citing feelings that the letter was "well-written," but also that I may be "misinformed."

We agreed that this was a positive development. I told her that I was hopeful and optimistic for the meeting. In reality though, every single imaginable emotion overwhelmed me as I made my way back to class with a grin on my face and a skip in my step. This is to be expected when one is tracked down by one's government in less than 36 hours. This is the fact of the matter, though. Big brother is watching.

Tomorrow is the day. It is the day I will meet with the USDOE. I remain hopeful and optimistic. I know that I will not only be speaking for myself, but for the entirety of the student body, and all of Rhode Island's frustrated and concerned students. This will be the prevailing thought in my mind tomorrow. Although I see this as progress, and am equally excited as I am surprised that I have gotten this far, I am not one to count my chickens before they hatch. I do not expect any success to be instant, but I feel that exercising our first amendment rights and voicing our collective grievances is the greatest success we can all have.

The unprecedented support from students of every class, teachers, administrators, and other adults encourages me to carry on, and I appreciate it wholeheartedly. I find this quote from Voltaire very grounding, however:

"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."

By no means do I view the government as a grim and threatening force that will put down any subversive that plots against it. Nor do I see myself as any sort of radical subversive. Tomorrow represents the beginning of a culmination of all our efforts to make a change. Through compromise and a scrupulous consideration of the everyday realities, I hope that our tribulations will be realized tomorrow, and I will do my utmost to see that it happens.

Letter to Senator Reed

The Initiation of Interaction

My life continues to become more and more hectic, but I will do as best I can to keep up with this new feature. Below is a sample letter that I will be editing and sending off to Senator Jack Reed. Eventually, I will post letters to other important Rhode Island politicians.

I attempted to keep the letter to one page in order to be succinct and concise. I wouldn't want to ramble when I'm trying to keep the Senator's attention throughout the letter. I tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but surely that will improve as I write more letters. Moreover, I again encourage you to write letters or e-mails of your own to Senators and Representatives. (especially ones previously listed on the site) I hope that you will take a lead from my letters, but definitely integrate your own personal touch to your letters. Remember, every small piece counts.

But without further adieu, the first letter:

[Return Address]
[Return Address]
26 March 2007

The Honorable Jack Reed
201 Hillside Road, Suite 200
Cranston, RI 02920-5602

Dear Senator Reed:

As a teenager and high school sophomore in Rhode Island, I find it difficult to avoid constantly being bombarded by my education. It began early, remains prevalent today, and represents the foundation of my future. Like your website states, I agree that “education is the key to our economic future.” This fact remains legitimate on the individual, state, and nationwide levels. In that regard, I am both grateful and impressed to discover that you helped engineer a program that has contributed nearly one hundred million dollars to school libraries.

Rhode Island is a great state, and I am certainly proud to live within its borders. Still, it is not without flaws. The most widely sweeping reform in national education over the past several years has been No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Frequently, the press touts this legislation as President Bush’s signature domestic achievement. However, I beg to differ. In my experiences with the programs and policies brought on by this federal mandate, I have met not only frustration and disappointment, but most of all a sense of infidelity to tangible student needs.

Especially in Rhode Island, the problems in education have been miscalculated. Proficiency-based Graduation Requirements (PBGR) allocate augmented burdens of stress to high school students already pressed with an assortment of academic demands. Still in its developmental stages, this system strives to standardize the success of every high school student in the state through the ambiguous label of proficiency. On a scale of just 1 through 4, each student’s work is evaluated, with a three representing minimal required proficiency. Keep in mind these rubrics are graded subjectively by hundreds of different teachers around the state. It is hard to argue that the premiere work of an Advanced Placement student can be equated with the best of a College Prep student. Furthermore, proponents of this incomplete system deduce that the e-portfolio will benefit students in the future. Frankly, however, universities and employers will not sincerely browse an applicant’s 24, 48, or 72 artifacts. My peers and I feel strongly about this issue, and we collectively urge you to further research the subject and exercise influence to rectify the matter.

Respectfully yours,

Theodore J. Capaldi
Student, Westerly High School

Inspiration at Last

It’s our education; it’s our problem!

Almost two weeks, and only one comment, albeit a very encouraging one. This is supposed to be a people's movement. I know you all are reading. I know many of you agree. Unfortunately, it does not end there. We are in this together. Still, hope is not overcome by frustration. This quote, I feel, relates to the situation:

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." - Jack London, American author (1876 - 1916)

The gears of the political machine will move regardless of words and text. They will move regardless of general dissatisfaction. Action is the only way to put a wrench in the gears. We understand the situation, we understand the reality, but until we make this known, the gears will not relent. I can not do this alone, however.

Political action comes in various forms. The question of how to become politically active is an open-ended one. I can give you the standard answer: write your legislators. It sounds run-of the-mill, but it is truly the easiest action to take.

[ RI Senators ]
Jack Reed (e-mail) / Sheldon Whitehouse

[ RI Representatives ]

Jim Langevin (e-mail) / Patrick Kennedy

If you are passionate about this issue, let it be known. Your Congressmen are in power to represent you, your rights, and your desires. It is their duty to listen to your concerns and uphold them to the best of their ability. The only way this can happen is if they come to understand the reality of the situation as well as we, the students, do.

Phase one is commencing. Take action, however small it may seem. It can and will make a difference. And it will make even more of a difference if you spread the seed. Incite action in others who share similar views. Remember there is strength in unity, so unite, and be heard.

Spread the seed. Spread the change.

(and voice your opinion, leave some comments)