Head of School's Blog
Education as Resistance: A Call to Action
My mind and heart have been heavy these past weeks as I am watching our government hell-bent on dismantling progress. This back and forth is not at all new to the history and current reality of the United States—two steps back, one step forward is the way our story has unfolded. With one executive order after another, this administration is waging war on diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice—terms that, to them, are apparently threatening to their version of America. The instability and chaos isn’t just reckless; it’s intentional. The goal? It appears to be to torpedo any movement toward collective liberation, multiculturalism, pluralism, and access to resources and human rights, with the purpose of curtailing the freedom to chart our own destinies. After all, what is the key to freedom in a democracy? Access to education is one of the central tenets and benefits of living in a free society.
While attending the Head of School Retreat in New Hampshire through the Association of Independent Schools in New England, I received several emails from anxious staff members, desperate for guidance. How will we respond? How do we manage the chaos? I chuckled, not out of amusement but exhaustion. If I had all the answers, I would have some special status—or I would be in a position to wield more power. Instead, I sit in a conference room in New Hampshire, grappling with the same questions while trying not to feel hopeless.
When the weight of it all threatens to pull me under, I turn to poetry, spiritual readings, and the wisdom of my ancestors for inspiration—those who endured, who survived, who carved paths where none existed. I remind myself: I am here. My purpose is clear. I educate children. And then, in a simple but profound moment, Garrett, our communications manager, reframed it perfectly: Education is our activism. That phrase hit me like a spark in the dark. It pulled me back to bell hooks, one of our country’s most incredible educators, activists, and thinkers. In Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom, she writes, “Education is the practice of freedom” (p. 35). This is our charge.
We do not simply teach subjects in a democracy; we cultivate minds that can resist oppressive forces that prevent people from being the best versions of themselves. We push students beyond one-dimensional thinking, exposing them to the deep intersections of neuroscience, culture, and lived experience. We challenge them to interrogate the forces shaping their realities, to recognize bias, and to make connections across differences. We teach them to stand firm in their beliefs while staying open to transformation. We teach respect, compassion, courage and love for self and humanity.
This is the real battleground. Not the White House. Not the courts. But the classrooms where the next generation is being shaped.
So, no—I don’t have all the answers. But I know this: We fight back with knowledge. We resist through education because that is what our mission calls us to do. And in times of uncertainty, I find strength in the unwavering dedication of this community—educators who nurture curiosity, amplify student voices and empower young minds to think critically and act with purpose.
This work is not just necessary; it is urgent. The work of educating is a testament to our values and beliefs, and I refuse to surrender. And for that, I remain both hopeful and resolute—because shaping the future is always a purpose worth fighting for.
"Listening to the Rain at the End of the World"
And I realize no one has told it,
Pattering on my window
As though it knocking to get in,
that the world is coming to an end,
No one told the flowers in the garden
or the trees in the woods.
No one told the dandelions on the hill
where we walk the dog or the birds
that the nest on the window in the shed
So I go outside to tell the rain
the flowers the trees the dandelions the birds
and they laugh and whisper soothingly
We have been at this same end
countless times before.
But the earth is ancient enough
to know how to
reincarnate
and begin again.
Fayerweather Street School | 765 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 | 617-876-4746
Fayerweather is a private PreK, kindergarten, elementary and middle school. We engage each child’s intellect.