May 5, 2008

Again, today, I'm reading an article about unionization of charter schools. I've always supported unions; believe in public education; support community control of the schools, and I like the growing movement of alliances between groups of paremts and teachers striking for better quality education.

Thinking about this brings to mind a story from my life in the past that hardly seems could have been true. Not long after coming home to Ann  Arbor in 1977, I came across the Progressive Educators Network, because I was looking for networks to affiate with. I went on their weekend retreet. It was a strange exerience. I felt out place - like "all these people are professionals, and I'm not." They all have Master's degrees in Education, and teach College. I have a Masters, but not in Education - - I had taught one college class (I forget I'm 32, there are many years  ahead).

Why had I been so hard on myself? I become mentally ill. I was going through a process of "Baby steps" to become stable. I had been a professional in Lynn and a Networker. It was important to "expose myself" to a group like this. As it turned out, the group wasn't right for me . But there was also the issue of self-denegrenigration that I've been working working on in Therapy for all these years.