Inarguable Stories

Today we can communicate in more ways than ever and yet it often feels like we’re talking right past each other.

Share a news article on Facebook. Or an infographic loaded with statistics. Maybe a quote of Martin Luther King, Jr. that aligns with your political views.

Then wait. Wait for that one person to make a sarcastic comment, or a breathless one that lays out every reason your vaguely expressed viewpoint was wrong, and watch the arguments pile up in your notifications, making you regret the post in the first place.

What’s going on here? How do we talk to each other in ways that stick?

In real life and on social media, I’ve seen storytelling act as the most powerful rhetorical device - better than that perfect statistic, emotional pleas, or any claim from an expert authority.

When Baltimore’s protests over Freddie Gray were overshadowed by riots and looting, some people responded with stats about his neighborhood, others compared rioters to animals, and one even opined that “charter schools save cities” (that one was not well received, to say the least). Continue reading →

The Top 5 Things Parents Share About a High Bar Education

“What are your dreams for your children? How can a high quality education help them achieve those dreams?”

In each of the many interviews I’ve conducted with parents across the country, I always start with the same questions.

“Why is it important for your children to be challenged in school? How does it make you feel to watch them struggle with challenging work?”

Parents love to answer with stories about their kids. I love watching their eyes light up. And I start with stories because we find common ground when we share.

Continue reading →

I Can’t Do It … Yet

The other night my daughter was reading to me. She’s six. When she got to a harder word, she started to stumble and she looked to me for help. I wanted to tell her what the word was (hey, I had dishes to do, laundry waiting, and a few work emails to write) but instead she started to sound it out. The first two times she didn’t recognize the word, and then — all of a sudden — she heard herself say it.

That flash of recognition and pride on her face was priceless and as she continued on I could feel her confidence growing.

Ever had one of these moments with your child?

My husband and I have three daughters – we hit the trifecta this year with one in high school, one in middle school, and one in kindergarten. As we navigate the pleasures and perils of being a family, I find myself returning to my touchstone, my big picture question:

What do I want most for my daughters? Continue reading →

So Why Are High Expectations for Education Important to Me?

Pontiac, Michigan is a small town about twenty minutes outside of Detroit. It used to be pretty robust in terms of population, but industry has been waning there.

The Pontiac Silverdome circa 1980 & 2014. The wane is strong with this one.

When I was in high school I had a vague idea of what college meant: more school and all of the money.
Luckily, I had a mom who knew what she was about and so tenth through twelfth grade year, I spent summer on a university campus participating in Project Upward Bound. Continue reading →