I go to meetings. I’ve been to happy meetings, sad meetings, loud meetings and quiet meetings. I could write a Dr.Seuss poem about meetings. I do write my reflections after attending meetings. Most of the reflections are stored away for a bit, re-read, then unceremoniously trashed.

Last week, I attended a listen and learn meeting. No, that’s not what it was called. It had a very professional name to coordinate with the distinguished list of attendees. Everyone in the room was extremely educated, intelligent and well recognized for successes in their fields of expertise. I was there, too. I had the privilege of listening to their ideas and opinions. I matched their words to their body language. I saw the tells that revealed when they really wanted to say, “This is important” or “I don’t have time for that.” I was having such a good time learning that I probably dropped my jaw on the table when someone asked me to speak.

I responded in perfect doge. “Such learning. So good.”

The meeting ended. I went out to my car. I spent the rest of the day responding to the group as though I were a normal human adult… in my head.

So, I am going to respond publicly to a private question.

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My child made a choice to leave his school, his friends and marching band to attend a magnet school. My child is intrinsically motivated to seek out the answers to the questions in his mind. He picks a topic, studies it voraciously, then moves on to another topic. It’s not hyperfocus that neglects other areas of his life. It is something he does in addition to his regular schoolwork. It is something he does while also absorbing book after book after book. He saw this school as a place where he could be the learner that he wants to be. What he found here, was a building full of students like himself.

No. The families at this magnet school are not more involved in the school than families at other schools. The students at this school come from working class families and single parents who do not have luxuries of time or money. They come from families who saw in their child a desire for something different. They come from families who aren’t able to write large checks or spend countless hours volunteering, but who fully support and believe in their child.

In this area of the country, educational and socioeconomic growth is stagnate across generations. The students at this school have the skills to work with technology in its’ current state and adapt to it as it evolves. They know how to use the tools in their hands to find the answers, but they legitimately question those answers and seek proof.

The students at this school want to be a useful part of their world. They want to make and create in their fields. They need us to believe in them. Your support of this school is their proof that you believe. Thank you for believing.