I ran across a beautiful poster a few weeks ago. Essentially, if you read the top line it says "teach." However, the bottom line spells "peace." It's funny because as teachers, we become so caught up and so busy in all the administrative issues and expected curricular mandates that we sometimes forget that teaching peace is synonymous. Or, at least it should be. 

I often look at the education system and feel like we are doing it all wrong. In so many classrooms students (particular in elementary school) are under this impression that they are there to exist under the mandates of their teacher. The teacher is the sole voice. The teacher tells you what to learn and you learn it. The teacher tells you what to study and you study it. The teacher tells you what is important and so it becomes important. And I urge us to be careful in carrying on this way. 

I often wonder why I feel like the world is going backwards in so many ways. Backwards in that we have the lowest number of refugees admitted this year. Backwards in that many of us cannot find it in our hearts to welcome immigrants into our country when we forget that our relatives and extended relatives were immigrants as well. People claiming that they don't see color when we all see color. Colorblindness is a true problem in our society today. Backwards in that we are not realizing our biases. Backwards in that we do not accept people for who we are but we judge them and deem them "different" and "not welcome" and "violent" and "unworthy" or our love. 

And as a teacher, I have to look at our education system and wonder "are we doing enough?" We aren't. Schools are still segregated by color. If you disagree you are only fooling yourself. Kids who have everything have no clue how to practice empathy with those who have nothing or, even worse, they have no clue that outside their "bubble" there are truly kids who have nothing. History is no longer emphasized in our education system. If it is, we seem to bypass important issues such as only teaching Civil Rights during "February" or not even acknowledging Martin Luther King Day or failing to talk about Immigration or difficult historical situations of our past. 

Today was the day I woke up and saw the final verdict regarding a member of our Pittsburgh Community who was shot by a police officer. And again, justice was not served. You can say it had nothing to do with his color, but it had everything to do with his color. You can say it had nothing to do with his background but it had everything to do with his background. Racism exists. Our society is supposed to be the land of the free, free opportunities, equal opportunities, beautiful opportunities and many of the members of our community are stuck in this cyclical injustice simply because they were not born with privilege, in a privileged neighborhood in a privileged school with privileged resources. Remember, privilege is a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. It exists. Certain groups have advantages over other groups. Privilege is why proper education is determined by zip code. Privilege is why our society is convinced color does not matter. It is why young black men such as Mr. Rose, a beautiful intelligent young man with the most brilliant intentions and aspirations was killed far too soon. 

Recognize your own privilege. Recognize that others around you are not being treated equally. Recognize that unless we act, injustices will never be served. Recognize as teachers that it is our duty to teach peace. Even more important to teach our students to recognize injustices, to challenge our pre-existing systems and to grow up with a strong voice against injustices in our community, in our city, in our world. Kids need to be given a voice. A want to change the world with their voice. 

Are you hiding? Stand up. Don't hide. We need your voice.