Australian Aboriginals and Teachabout

The following was received today from a man who has spent most of his life reaching out to various Aboriginal peoples across the Cape York Peninsula, Australia. 
I have been fortunate in that I have traveled with him a number of times to the back a beyond to visit, and stay, with a number of Aboriginal peoples in "their country."
He wrote the following after seeing that his introduction to Teachabout students in Melbourne led me to post a fund raising opportunity on Universal Giving.


"...Glad you are able to do something with the Teachabout mob. 
Even tho dollars may not flow, at least their outfit is now in the domain. 
Their approach has lots of potential if they can get other universities on board. There are a number of rich individuals here who are doing serious work running employment/training initiatives for Aborigines, particularly in mining. 
Universities are providing encouragement for kids from remote communities backed by funding from local community and government. 
There are very promising indicators that the attitudes of the past are slowly fading and a new mood of inclusiveness seems to be emerging, particularly among the young such as Teachabout and other student groups. 
As you will agree, there is an urgent need to educate the up and comers about the total Aboriginal picture because there is still very few who know anything much about our first Australians in a real sense, but that can change quickly if the young future educators are supported to go out to the remote places to see what you and I know so well about the culture. 
Our new prime minister is probably the best hope for improving indigenous advancement. He has always been active in helping in the communities, especially in education, and has now included Aboriginal affairs in his own department, making him the responsible minister for all that happens across the country in that area in the Northern Territory and other places way out beyond the Black Stump..."
Let Kids Be Kids, Advocacy for Those Seeking a Voice.
If you have questions or comments contact us at letkidsbekids@mac.com

 

Students Reaching out with a Helping Hand

On the Pennefather River. Mapoon People
Photo by M Barrett Miller

Let Kids Be Kids is supporting "Teachabout", a youth-led organization, Melbourne University, Australia, that runs a school holiday program for University students to extend and enrich learning to Aboriginal children in remote communities.

The program is currently running twice a year in Minyerri, a remote community 270km/160miles southeast of Katherine in the Northern Territory.

"Teachabout" ran its first program in 2011 with the eager Year 5s and 6s (middle School) at Minyerri School.

Terry Graham, Co-founder, Let Kids Be Kids, has spent most of his life reaching out to those in need in Australia and throughout the Pacific. M Barrett Miller, Co-founder, Let Kids Be Kids, has accompanied Mr. Graham into the outback on a number of occasions to assist his work with various "Aboriginal" tribes.

The name, "Teachabout", closely aligns with the word "tijimbat", a Kriol word from the Roper River region, which means 'teach your kids about everything'.

To see how you can help look at our page on Universal Giving.

For questions/comments email us at letkidsbekids@mac.com

Stop Bullying!!

When I visit schools one of the topics that invariably comes up is bullying. It comes up in ways that seem surprising to some of the adults in attendance. 

Bullying has been brought up in HIV/AIDS presentations, classes focusing on poverty, homelessness and presentations on strategic planning. 

Kids will share they feel bullied into having sex, bullied into taking part in activities that can get them involved with law enforcement. Kids will share they are bullied into sharing their school work, their money and even their clothing. 

Though I may not be visiting to focus on bullying I take advantage of the questions in order to help them realize they deserve better and that they have resources ready to assist them. Given the opportunity I share some of the following with students interested in curbing what goes on in their lives.

The following is an excerpt from a book I wrote entitled "Trust Kids" which promotes honoring young people, by listening and incorporating their ideas into viable solutions

(Geoff’s story)

“Three of us oversaw an after school program funded by the school district. Me, Jim and Nancy, all volunteers. Jim and Nancy were teachers. 

I ran a small boat charter, whale watch service. 

We involved kids aged 12-16 in outdoor projects focusing on the bounty of our shoreline. We had our company tour boat that we could use to cruise close to shore or to scoot out to one of the islands for different marine projects. Usually 18-20 kids showed up four times a week after school. A few more than that would join us on Saturday when we would cap the day with a meal cooked over the fire pit.

Things were running pretty good until we received a complaint from one girl’s mom that her daughter had been bullied. I’d been working with kids long enough to realize that when girls bullied each other it was much harder to recognize, and stem, then when boys would pick on a kid. We tried to watch the kids closely after the mom’s complaint but I couldn’t detect anything out of the ordinary.

The mom complained again saying she would take it to the school council if we didn’t do something about it. We didn’t know what “it” was and the mom wouldn’t allow us to talk directly to her daughter about it.  Not knowing exactly what to do we tossed it to the kids to see what they might think.

In the past we had done some readings together as a group. We had looked at various survival books with accompanying stories of survival. On afternoons that kept us indoors we would occasionally watch some of the TV survival programs to give the kids some entertainment and some education. What I had in mind was to set up the bullying issue within our group and see what the kids said. Maybe they could come up with something to read together that would give us some base line from which we could tackle the problem.

That is what we did. We pulled all the kids together one Saturday morning in our community center room, where we kept our stuff and had snacks, when the weather was inhospitable. I told them there was a terrible case of bullying going on in a school outside of Seattle. It got so bad one kid attacked another with a knife. I shared that bullying seemed to be part of growing up that we all wanted to forget, particularly if we were on the receiving end. I asked an open question to see if any of them felt like they had ever been bullied. I was shocked to see how many hands went up.

Nancy told a story of how she had been bullied at her middle school to such a level she begged her parents to change schools. She shared that she never told the school principal who was behind it. It stopped when the ringleader started to pick on another girl. She said most of the verbal attacks went on in the bathroom or at recess when teachers could not see what was going on. She said she was embarrassed that she never spoke up but understands why people are reluctant to speak up. She remembers what it was like to be afraid.
A number of kids told their stories. A fair amount of them were boys, which surprised a number of the kids, particularly the girls.
Geoff, aged 15, said he was with a group of kids back in Minnesota who used “kids in justice” which was the name given to a group of kids, randomly selected, that handed out “justice” to group members who had trespassed in various ways. He explained that one of his teachers had all the kids read, “Touching Spirit Bear” that dealt with a kid who was a very aggressive bully and thug. When he mentioned the book a number of the kids shouted out they had read it and how much they loved it. We kicked the theme around for a little while deciding we would all read the book as a group. Geoff said it had a lot of survival type info as well as the story of how this kid is dealt with by the community. I volunteered to go to the bookstore and get us enough copies to read. I said I would go while they were having lunch.

Geoff went on to explain that their justice group was based on tribal law, he forgot which tribe, in Canada that used a sacred rite of justice to correct or punish a member of the tribe who had broken their laws or offended another member of the tribe. He said the kids were all given a playing card, which they would write their name on with a marking pen. The cards were then put in the center of the group, shuffled, with four to six cards being drawn by someone who had no affiliation with the group. That would be easy as there were a number of people in the center who could do a drawing. I said I would get the cards during lunch if the kids wanted to go forward. We took a vote. One hundred percent raised their hands.

The bookstore only had five copies of  “Touching Spirit Bear” so I put in an order for twenty more. The clerk said they would arrive on Wednesday, which was good enough. I bought two sets of playing cards and an assortment of markers.

When I got back to the group they were all excited about the book and setting up some sort of peer justice league to deal with problems we had obviously missed. It was a little embarrassing to realize the kids were having issues none of us knew anything about. When we assembled I asked if we needed any leader to oversee the justice group? Most of the kids pointed to Geoff who agreed to be the “consultant.” We wrapped the day with a meal of halibut and salmon cooked on the grill. Kids tossed on spuds, onions and peppers to round out the feast.

On Wednesday morning I picked up the books. When the kids arrived after school the numbers of attendees had swelled by eleven new members. Geoff told us these kids were drawn to the group by the lively conversation at school about our group, our outdoor activities and how we were going to deal with challenges like bullying.

I passed out the books with a promise to buy ten more. We agreed to read the first two chapters by tomorrow. I allowed Geoff to form the circle, oversee the name writing on the cards, shuffle them and the invitation to one of the center’s staff to pull six cards. Once the cards were drawn Geoff read out the names asking them to step out of the circle. He explained that they were the judges but that they were not supreme. They had to further pick from the remaining cards “Advisors” who would counsel each judge on their decisions. The judges would then have to agree on any final outcome. The “advisors” could negotiate with the other judges “advisors” to try to convince that judge of a particular action. Geoff impressed on the kids that they were all in and all valuable. There was a lot of excitement and we broke feeling we could take on anything.

Geoff stuck around to talk with us about how to bring up the bullying issue. He was more diplomatic than we were, as we wanted to dump it on the table, say it was forbidden and blah blah blah if we saw or heard anything about anyone being bullied. He wanted to bring it up as a topic of conversation allowing the group to define bullying and any punishment for it.

At out next meeting Geoff ran the show. He introduced the subject drawing on the character in the book. (Most of the kids were half way through the book so we agreed we’d finish it by Saturday). He asked kids to define bullying making notes on the butcher paper he had hung up on the wall. The kids were very enthusiastic and out spoken about what they wanted to happen to anyone who bullied. They were more draconian than we would have been insisting any kid who bullies should be put out of the group, reported to the school and the police. Believe it or not just about every kid agreed to those terms. There were lesser punishments for wise remarks, swearing, rough housing etc. Some of them were quite funny involving carrying around dead fish in a burlap bag for an afternoon, cleaning the dishes in the Sound, wearing clothing backwards and being ignored by everyone for a day. The silent treatment! Geoff added one new idea just as the kids were going to break up. He had all but the judges toss their cards back in the pile. He asked Nancy to draw two cards, until they were all gone, putting them in separate stacks. He explained that these couples would look out for each other no matter what. They were more than partners – they were bound to protect and support each other. The kids loved it. Not one of them seemed disappointed by the pairings. Some boys were with a girl partner; some older kids were with a younger kid. Did not seem to matter, they all embraced it-

The book was a great success. 

We had great group activities around the characters, the relationships and the actions of each character and how we might learn from what they did in the story. Every kid played a role in the conversation. Every kid seemed to grow in confidence from meeting to meeting. Geoff didn’t have to do too much with the judges because very little needed to be judged. There were the occasional out bursts and shoving matches that resulted in a kid carrying around a bag of fish for an afternoon or doing the dishes in freezing cold water. All in all things were great.

Thanks to Geoff speaking up, and stepping up, I think we have found a way for kids to deal with most issues that they want dealt with in a fair way by their peers. For us Geoff has made our “job” much easier.”

For more information, or to reach us, email us at Letkidsbekids@mac.com

Ralph

Ralph

Ralph isn’t his real name.
I was recently watching the “Honeymooners” seeing some similarities between Ralph Kramden and my friend.
“My” Ralph had the same kind of gruff exterior that was so transparent to “Honeymooner’s” fans.
Ralph had a great job at Amazon in the IT Department. He had been around long enough to make wise decisions with stock purchases gaining him total financial freedom should he step away from his job.
For whatever reasons he stayed at Amazon using his accumulated sick days rather than walking out the door. I can understand that he might want to feel connected to something rather than being totally on his own.
He was really sick resisting a lot of the drugs that were being tried out on him. He wasn’t handling it well.
Now, doesn’t that sound stupid! Handling it well!
Who are we to determine how someone handles anything that crashes down on him or her, as they make their way through life.
All that pap about a stiff upper lip and grin and bear it doesn’t work for everyone. Some can walk softly and some cannot.
Ralph was raging against it. He didn’t want to be at the mercy of others or depend on anyone to maintain his basic needs. He hinted often that he had limits to what he was willing to put up with-
There were not many times that Ralph joined me and others to talk to groups about challenges in our neighborhoods.
I did not always set up visits to schools, businesses strictly around HIV. Sometimes the audience was looking forward to hearing stories from people who had faced and “conquered” challenges in life. Occasionally the theme was about employment; travel in the third world, poverty issues or just getting through the day. I put on trainings around grog, drugs, and opportunities after a stretch in the pen. 
Ralph might show up if the theme of the visit was about decision-making and strategies. Most college kids didn’t get any training on putting together a strategy to get what they wanted. Many had no idea what they wanted.
If Ralph attended he would occasionally talk one on one with college-aged kids about his days in Iraq and how that experience gave him the internal permission to “go for it” when he left the battlefield. Sometimes he spoke about how his injuries contributed to his illness. Sometimes he claimed that tainted blood infected him and other times he spoke to kids without mentioning his illness at all.
I had no idea to the truth of any of it.
I was never sure what he was going to share so I set up my introduction using generalities. It was never a very smooth introduction when he was present, but no one seemed to mind.

Most people knew/know about me putting together this little book. I usually mentioned it to groups somewhere in my introduction of what was to follow. I had completed a book compiling the tales of a homeless man that had some traction in and out of schools. Quite a few church and arts groups had invited in an actor to read what they referred to as a “dramatic monologue.” That book, View from the Tent gave me the impetus to share stories of those fighting for their lives.

I asked some of the people I dealt with if they wanted to contribute anything beyond what conversations and observations I might make in the book.
Ralph wrote me the following letter with the “The Sound of Her Wings” stapled to his letter.

Hey Mick,
I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to thank you for hanging out just when I needed it. I know you have had a hard time trying to forecast what I was ever going to say, so, know I didn’t try to make it any harder on you than necessary. I think what you’re doing is a good thing.
I’ve headed back home. A little town in northern Michigan that I have not visited since my parents died there years ago. 
There’s a little lake tucked way back in the woods that I have rented for a month.
I scribbled out the following on the plane. Have fun with it-
I left Seattle because I need to make some decisions about what I am going to do about all of this.
Thanks again.

                                 

                           The Sound of Her Wings

After a couple of years of pumping yourself up every morning, as you guzzle experimental drugs, you begin to pay attention to the creeping cacophony of voices riding the roller coaster in your head.

That buzzing seems to be telling you that your efforts are probably for naught.
The call for the last dance is closer than you thought.
Can you hear the music?

You ignore the voice telling yourself that you need to “think positively” and “create” your own reality.
Do you believe that?
Can you actually make a concrete difference in the fabric of reality because you are hoping, wishing, imagining, and projecting some image of success back onto yourself through the mirror of your mind?
Does the universe care about you?
Is something out there listening to your pleas?
Isn’t the universe a torrent of violent upheaval changing its nature constantly?
Does anything out there care what happens to our planet, our solar system or you?
A dot buried on a planet with six billion dots looking for recognition and acceptance from something more distant than the adjacent dots…
You can hear the clock ticking, ticking, ticking - calling you to one last rally.
Is anyone listening?
Not likely.

Morning ritual.
Follow the dog.
Go to Starbucks.
Have a coffee and leaf through the morning newspaper. A paper that no longer holds interest beyond what might be happening out there that could help you find health. News, offering a blink of hope to hold off the HIV epidemic. Perhaps a cure?
You’ve lost your fire about politics recognizing you’ve been disappointed one too many times and don’t want to go down that road again.
You’ve become either cynical or exhausted.
You are recognizing that the same old crew of experts has elbowed their way onto committees, studies, and panels to decide what is best for the rest of us. Their best may not be good enough but you’re tired of trying to ramp up your arguments to a level beyond a Gandhi quote that is either totally relevant or totally irrelevant.
Doesn’t matter.
The person you are talking to isn’t really listening.
You watch the unfolding mini dramas.
Illegal parking followed by sprints into the coffee shop!
Some are texting or conversing on their iphones in their race to claim the coffee prize.
You watch the anxious feeling of disappointment on some when they realize they will have to wait their turn to order and disappear back into the morning night.
Going somewhere quickly.
Somewhere important.
Somewhere where some one pays them for whatever it is they do out there in the dark.
Morning has not broken.
There is hardly a glance at you, or others, who regularly occupy time and space in little corner tables.
Reading the paper.
People are banging away on laptops, ipads or iphones in terror of interacting with anyone else sitting close.
A nod.
A good morning!
No conversation.
What if they ask you about what you do when you’re not skimming the surface at the coffee shop!? Tell them you’re fighting for your life? No.
Keep your head down.
Watch from an angle.
Women enter and exit without a glance in your direction.
You are not there anymore than the little man that dropped off the newspapers earlier in the dark.
You watch some of the ladies take two coffees out to someone waiting expectantly.
You are envious.
You are lonely.
You are on your own.
You are scared that this is it.

You fight back with a jolly euphuism about yourself to yourself.
You maneuver to convince yourself that you are really one of the good ones and they are all missing out by not swooping you up in a collective hug.
Maybe you’re wrong.
You are now back in that place where you started hearing your voice of reality telling you the party is just about over for you.
You push that aside grasping to the life raft of chance and hope.
If you just keep moving something will happen.
Keep moving.
Keep trying. Keep praying!
To whom – for what?
For a day without pain, money, power, prestige, women, stuff?
What would you do with it besides giving it all away?

You dance with memories of times when you were significant, cherished, listened to, admired, envied and loved for a time.
Before you were sick.
Were you needed?
Actually needed? For a spell. Perhaps.
No one seems to need you now-
You don’t even know what to bring to the party anymore.
Let tenderness run rampant with your memories.
They are yours.
Be free-remember all those hugs that have gone the way of smoke.
The promises that echo off the canyons in the shady places!
Throw light on all the good times.
 Skip over all the blunders and faulty steps that inhibited your journey.
Feed yourself with a soft light knowing that it was all as it should have been.
You were a passenger on the wave that carried you to where you are today.
Lean into the curl and ride it one more time.
Shout out in joy as you head towards the beach.
The crash will be silent.
She will come for you when you are ready.
Look for her.
She is more beautiful than you ever could have imagined.
Everything else is illusion.

That’s it. I never heard from him again.

Ice is available by download through iTunes/iBook for your iPad/computer. Print copies can be ordered through Lulu Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble...

For any questions email us at letkidsbekids@mac.com

Reaching out...

"Safe travels to Megan, Volunteer Coordinator of the Death Row Support Program, for Washington state. 
She offers various support services to the nine on Washington states death row in Walla Walla. 
She's heading to Walla Walla today in order to spend the next two days visiting with each inmate. 
Bless you Megan. I love you."

Contact letkidsbekids@mac.com if you have any questions.

Thank You Pete Seeger!!

Thank you Pete Seeger for always standing up for all of us!!

Help us lend a hand...

These three books tell one story about Let Kids Be Kids, Inc.
We advocate for those seeking a voice. 
We speak up, and help, the poor, the homeless, the sick, the displaced, the abandoned and victims of natural and man made disasters.
A great deal of our time is spent with young people offering them opportunities and insights into the lives and challenges of many across their community, and in the larger global community.
Our public advocacy is vocal and shared through the media as much as possible. We post to journals, newspapers, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Newsvine, LinkedIn, Instagram and all applicable sites across the Internet.
One recent example of our public advocacy is our recent visit to a Seattle high school with Natives Rising founder Robert "Ravenspeaker" Frederiksen. He spoke about the challenges, and solutions available, to ameliorate the abysmally bad realities many natives find themselves in throughout the country. The students, given the facts, and a listening ear, were quickly able to come up with some great ideas on reaching out across the cultural divide.
Our private advocacy deals with individuals and small groups who prefer to stay out of the public eye. Our work with some veterans, x-cons, HIV/AIDS patients, students dealing with various issues are kept between us and them-

The book "Trust Kids" speaks to all the great things that can happen when we actually listen to young people and give them the opportunity to have a real voice in the process. Each chapter tells the story of such successes. The stories range from students in Mississippi who have a role on the education board. These kids helped steer the board after the devastation of Katrina. Another story is how a young man helped a group of Australians with relief work in Ache. Perhaps the most distributed chapters shares how young people in Anacortes, Washington, use native traditions to deal with bullying.
Great stories that underscore our belief that change is always possible.

"Ice" shares the courageous and hopeful stories of many I have known, and know, who have suffered the devastation of a HIV/AIDS diagnosis. The book is full of amazing people who have brought into my life a fullness I never would have imagined 26 years ago when I first got involved with the 'community." The book has been embraced by a number of nursing schools, AIDS support organizations and other non profits dealing with the sick, lonely and abandoned. Most satisfying of all is how the book has been received by those who know the people I wrote about-

"View from the Tent" is the story of one man broken by an event in his life that leads him down the trail to homelessness. Its an unusual tale because its told through an exchange of notes between me and Atreus, a pseudonym chosen by the homeless man. These exchanges bring the reader into the story line and the changes that take place in his life, and at the various camps, where he hunkered down. A Seattle actor, Dan Niven, has volunteered his time to do readings of the book at events where the book is the center of a fund raising event. The book is sold wholesale to the group, they mark it up, and sell it at the gathering. I was recently told that the book has generated about $60,000.00 in donations over the last year. Let Kids Be Kids and Dan Niven receive nothing from the sale of the book or the presentation done by Mr. Niven.
In addition to these presentations we visit various schools to share our experience and knowledge of the plight of poverty and homelessness here and in many countries we have visited. The essence of these visits is to educate and solicit solutions...
I am very proud of the following:

" Mr. Miller's book, "View from the Tent" has provided my students with a unique insight into the challenges of a homeless man wandering through the system in Seattle. It is a story of discovery and hope that has benefited my students, as they look for ways to ameliorate the challenges the poor and homeless face on a daily basis. Mr. Miller's classroom visits have helped my students understand the human side of poverty and homelessness." (Dec 2013)

Edward Wilson Reed PhD

Assistant Professor 
Matteo Ricci College, Seattle University

Your purchase helps fund Let Kids Be Kids, Inc. advocacy out reach. All net proceeds are used to make life just a little bit easier for many in our communities.

For comments or questions email us at Let Kids Be Kids.

"Natives Rising"

Robert "Ravenspeaker" Frederiksen, Tsimshian, founder of "Natives Rising", addressed 17 & 18 year old students at Seattle's Center High School yesterday.
Center teacher Andy Bell was our host for the day. 

Ravenspeaker explained his founding of  "Natives Rising" by speaking of what holds a society together, and what forces can tear a society apart, requiring a "rising of spirit." 

In order to best illuminate the challenges he told three stories, one to each class, so the students could learn a little bit about the Tsimshian  (pronounced Sim see Anne) culture and how Ravenspeaker, and his people, view the world.

One story was of an old man who fooled young women with his false beauty. The essence of the story shared the larger morality that exists to hold people together. The importance of respect and honor among the people.

The second story told of a prince who was so in love with a young woman that he would do whatever she asked to win her hand. Over time she had him slice his face and body until he was just a ribbon of a human being.
Ultimately he is saved, and renewed, and she is rejected.
The story speaks to incorporating outside influences that may destroy all that is internally held sacred.

The third story was a legend, versus being an instructive story, that told the creation story of the ever pesky mosquito.

Ravenspeaker shared with the students the tremendous challenges faced by "First Peoples" spread across the country.  "First People", or "Natives" are the preferred terms to the imposed "Native American"category on those who have been here for thousands of years. 

He quoted the dismal statistics on school dropouts, unemployment, substance abuse and teen suicide.
The students were shocked by the number of native teens that look at life through a "prism so darkly" that they chose no life to the everyday negative internal messaging they have incorporated.
Ravenspeaker quickly pivoted from these hard to embrace statistics to incorporating the students in ways they could ameliorate the woes he shared.
With very little prompting each class of students came to the conclusion that true "friendship" could turn the status quo.
Friendship that is arrived at though knowledge, empathy, sharing, familiarity, trust, support and faith that a better day is on the horizon.
Every single student said they would be "friends" and would take steps to open themselves up to the "invisible" people who surround them in a city named after a Duwamish chief that few of them know much about-

Ravenspeaker is adept at delivering age appropriate "lessons" through stories, humor, historical and cultural references, group interaction combined with his obvious dedication and enthusiasm to seeing  "a spirit rising" among natives and non natives.

Students enthusiastically grasped his message adding their own insights to what can be done to reach out to each other---
What more could you ask for in a classroom?
Thank you Ravenspeaker-

For more information and how we can help arrange a visit by Ravenspeaker to your business, club or school email us at Let Kids Be Kids.

Speaking to truth...

Great to see the students, parents and alumni speaking up to the ongoing injustice within this school and in the Seattle Archdiocese.

January 8, 2014
Dear Eastside Catholic Friends,

Many have asked for meeting minutes or at least a recap of what was discussed on our alumni call. There were about 50 people on the line. These are my takeaways and I don’t mean to speak on behalf of the whole group, but I think it will help in beginning to outline where we can go from here.

In our minds there are four distinct issues (in no particular order), and we need to respect that not all people are involved for the same reasons as the other, but all reasons are equally legitimate. Those issues are (1) Religion/Catholic Doctrine, (2), LGBT Rights, (3) Wrongful Termination, and (4) Poor Leadership. 

I will address each individual issue below, but before I do, I’d like to point out that we are not kids anymore. EC alumni have grown up and we have the education, the wherewithal, and the means to amplify the student protests to a point of global change. 

In my opinion, it is nearly impossible that the status quo will remain at Eastside Catholic. This is not an issue of money or capacity but one of strategy. What we need to determine now is not how we will punish and replace the EC administration for making mistakes (the consequences will come in due course, likely with or without our intervention), but how we will rebuild the school to be something that makes us proud.

So without further ado, here are the key issues as I see them. You are welcome and encouraged to participate in whichever categories move you to action!

1. Religion/Catholic doctrine. Many feel the Church needs to, and eventually will, change. But as we all know, the Church is on a different timeline than our exceptionally liberal state in our exceptionally liberal country. Despite this, part of the “Z-Day” concept is our vision to have ALL Catholic schools in the US participate so that more than just the Archdiocese of Seattle feels pressure. Potential partners are organizations like Faithful America. This is not an easy road, and we could use some experts in Canon Law to assist in getting the student voices heard all the way to the Vatican. If you are interested in being on this committee, let us know. Please note: we have non-religious and non-Catholic folks that are equally incensed, but this issue alone does not cover their concerns.

2. LGBT Rights. Unrelated to EC or religion, our country is on the verge of major change when it comes to LGBT rights. Marriage equality laws are passing throughout the country, and very recently in Washington State. The law is still nascent when it comes to enforcing these new rights and many would like to see them apply in every possible circumstance. Social Outreach Seattle has been instrumental in amplifying the student concerns as well as many other LGBT-focused media outlets and non-profits. The ultimate goal here is to see a day where all people are allowed to live freely as they were made. Similar to the Catholic topic, however, some of our more conservative constituents are not interested in hanging their flag on the pro-gay rights movement. We respect this too. If you are interested in being on this committee, let us know.

3. Wrongful termination. There are undoubtedly employment law issues at play. EC will probably have some legal rights because of their affiliation with the Catholic Church but they do not have the right to cherry-pick what rules they enforce. One suggestion is to insist that the employee contracts specify that teachers are obligated to teach Catholic doctrine, but they are not required to adhere to it in their personal lives. Example: we had a beloved Jewish math teacher who taught at EC for decades. There is no way she could abide by Catholic doctrine outside of the classroom, but if you asked her whether she thought birth control should be allowed, she simply stated that she believed she was obligated in her contract to teach certain Catholic views. No one expected her to lie to the students about the fact that she was Jewish. No one expected her to follow Catholic doctrine in her personal life. If you are interested in exploring this issue or any other creative litigation strategies, let us know.

4. Poor leadership. In my personal opinion, and I suspect in many of yours, the poor leadership of the board and the administration (not only Sr. Mary) has contributed to an oppressive and ongoing hostile work environment at EC. Dozens of teachers have left in the past few years; many are still in a mild state of depression over the undemocratic environment. As a proud Crusader who has tried numerous times to get the administration to respond, this is wholly unacceptable to me and the area I am most passionate about. While I do believe we will get our way as to the ousting of Sr. Mary, I still believe a major revision of the bylaws will be necessary. Some suggestions we’ve heard so far including the following: 

I. Make sure at least two alumni and two faculty (former or current) are on the board. 

II. Ensure a democratic process applies in wider circumstances than in school finances so that singular powerful board members cannot dictate school policy.

III. Parents of current students may be allowed limited seats on the board and must recuse themselves of voting in certain situations. 

IV. Ensure the faculty has a formal vote in the hiring of the new President. 

V. Ensure a grievance policy is in place for faculty to use when board members or administrators misbehave. 

VI. Suggestion: Go back to the President/Principal model. EC went to this model and it was explained that the president dealt with outside the school house issues (i.e. fundraising) and the principal would deal with in the school house issues (curriculum, etc.) In the event of a disagreement, the Board would hear both sides and take a vote.

If you’d like to discuss any of the above, we are looking for committee members for each category. Thanks for caring, thanks for reading, and thanks for helping our world be a better place for everyone!

Sincerely, 
Mary K 

Mary Kopczynski, J.D./Ph.D.
EC Class of 1996