Know Power, Know Responsibility: How to Unleash the Potential of Every Child in America

NOTE TO PARENTS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN & NOTE TO TEACHERS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND OTHER SCHOOL STAFF

Author’s Note: The following “Notes”, to parents and school staff, precede all other content in the published version of this book. They are meant to acknowledge the discomfort the ideas in the book may cause for those closest to our current K-12 school model and, consequently, those who would be most affected by changes in that school model.

NOTE TO PARENTS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

Dear Parents,

It is you — parents with school-aged children, whom you love and care about and whose future you worry about — that have the most at stake with everything covered in this book. Consequently, you may its contents a bit frightening, though that is certainly not the intent.

If you’re like most parents, you have imagined your child going to school and having experiences similar to or better than your own. We all want our children’s lives to be better than ours, no matter how good our lives have been. You may find comfort in the warmth of familiar sights, sounds, and smells at your child’s school.

So to consider drastically changing your child’s school is scary. How do you know the changes will be for the better? Why can’t changes wait until your children are done and have moved on? Why should your child be the guinea pig?

These are great questions. I find comfort in the familiarity of my children’s experiences, similar to visiting old neighborhoods and places from my youth. But I must counter that comfort with reality and thoughtfulness, and I ask you to do the same.

The world is vastly different then when I was a child and, in retrospect, my academic experiences in school did little to prepare me for the world in which I live today. In fact, they set me up for a lot of challenges. I know I’ve benefited from working through these challenges, but I wonder how much more I could have accomplished — how much more I could have contributed to this world — had my K–12 experiences been tailored to me rather than the average of all the kids in my grade.

For most children, change is exciting until they are taught otherwise. As parents, we strive to balance protecting our children with the excitement of change and learning. They can’t learn to talk until we stop to listen. They can’t learn to walk, ride a bike, skate, dance, jump, tumble, or so many other things that bring them joy until we let go.

Your children are the heart and soul of the changes advocated in this book. They will not be guinea pigs; rather, they will be leaders of those changes and will drive its success. They cannot do it on their own, of course, but our children are the only ones who can fully and truly know what they need to learn, grow, and reach their potential. Once freed from their constraints, children will shock us with their abilities and potential.

I challenge you to avoid getting stuck in the comfort of your own memories or in believing the school you attended is what’s best for your child. Instead, try to remember your curiosity and excitement about learning before it became a structured activity driven by others. Then imagine what your child could accomplish if the world of learning contained no limitations.

It can happen. We can create an educational system that makes this a reality. It will be scary for us adults, but we need to flip that fear into excitement and share it with our children. Continue reading to see how we can change our school systems so that our children can change the world!

Kevin

NOTE TO TEACHERS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND OTHER SCHOOL STAFF

Dear school staff,

I expect many of you will take some offense from this book. You may think I’m bashing public schools and teachers or blaming them for problems in our world. I am not. In fact, I commend teachers, administrators, and all other educators for the fantastic work they do. Rather, I am showing how the institution of public schools is at the heart of many challenges in our world and for holding back the potential of generations of students. What you have accomplished is amazing given the shortcomings of the system.

At the same time, I understand why my criticism of the system seems like an indictment of those who are part of that system. It is natural to take offense and come to the defense of an institution with which one is strongly associated. As a former teacher and administrator and a strong advocate for public schools, the decision to take aim at the institution has been difficult. However, our current system is not meeting the needs of our children, and it is our duty to change that.

You have a crucial role in building an educational system that allows all students to approach their potential so they are truly prepared to thrive in the twenty-first century and beyond. That means you must be willing to acknowledge the shortcomings of our current model. I hope this book helps you see these flaws and realize that we can — and must — develop a superior system.

I have spent my career in public education trying to figure out how to improve learning for every student. I finally realized the current system is maxed out; we’ve tapped its potential. It needs to be replaced with one that significantly exceeds the current system’s capacity. That also means you — teachers, administrators, and other school staff — will be freed from its limitations and discover incredible opportunities you never imagined.

I truly hope you see this book as it’s intended — a catalyst for schools to exceed even the most optimistic expectations of today. I further hope you will become the leaders of this transformation. Thanks for at least giving this your consideration and keeping an open mind.

Kevin

Continue with the next element of Know Power, Know Responsibility (Introduction), here:

Kevin Miller is a Boomer who joined the Army during the Cold War and continues to serve. He has spent 30-plus years working in K-12 education as a teacher, administrator, and consultant and is now on a mission to reinvent our school model. His book Know Power, Know Responsibility provides the imperatives for a complete redesign of schools and the way to get there. See his website knowresponsibility.com to learn more.