I was privileged to attend the 2013 Freedom Awards tonight, presented by the National Civil Rights Museum. Three fantastic individuals where honored. However, Geoffery Canada stuck out in my mind as he always does with his charge to ensure that we do all we can to ensure that every child has the chance to obtain a high quality education. I wasn’t able to videotape it, but he wrote and recited an excellent poem titled “Don’t Blame Me” that I wanted to reprint here. As a teacher, it’s about taking responsibility for those in my charge. It’s about not pushing the blame off onto someone else and doing everything I can to grow the children that I have right in front of me. If you’d rather watch it read, you can check out an elementary school student reading it here.
The girl’s mother said, “Don’t blame me.
Her father left when she was three.
I know she don’t know her ABCs, her 1,2,3s,
But I am poor and work hard you see.”
You know the story, it’s don’t blame me.
The teacher shook her head and said,
“Don’t blame me, I know it’s sad.
He’s ten, but if the truth be told,
He reads like he was six years old.
And math, don’t ask.
It’s sad you see.
Wish I could do more, but it’s after three.
Blame the mom, blame society, blame the system.
Just don’t blame me.”
The judge was angry, his expression cold.
He scowled and said, “Son you’ve been told.
Break the law again and you’ll do time.
You’ve robbed with a gun.
Have you lost your mind?”
The young man opened his mouth to beg.
“Save your breath,” he heard instead.
“Your daddy left when you were two.
Your momma didn’t take care of you.
Your school prepared you for this fall.
Can’t read, can’t write, can’t spell at all.
But you did the crime for all to see.
You’re going to jail, son.
Don’t blame me.”
If there is a God or a person supreme,
A final reckoning, for the kind and the mean,
And judgment is rendered on who passed the buck,
Who blamed the victim or proudly stood up,
You’ll say to the world, “While I couldn’t save all,
I did not let these children fall.
By the thousands I helped all I could see.
No excuses, I took full responsibility.
No matter if they were black or white,
Were cursed, ignored, were wrong or right,
Were shunned, pre-judged, were short or tall,
I did my best to save them all.”
And I will bear witness for eternity
That you can state proudly,
“Don’t blame me.”
Geoffrey Canada
By Jon Alfuth
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Don’t you think rhetoric like this is a way of taking off the pressure to do something about the huge child poverty rate in the US?
By the way, Canada’s school offers wrap-around services, meaning that through huge private donations it is able to do something about the poverty its students face. This is something public schools don’t have access to.
He did make a comment about that in his speech, wondering about your thoughts on this. He said people tell him its not scaleable. His solution; stop putting people in prison for foolish crimes and put that money towards education. Even if we can’t raise it all that way, he makes a good point that if we truly want to provide wrap around services like his school we can find the money.
Yes, I agree; we can find the money. But here Canada is suggesting that we put pressure on teachers to change what it is not in their power to change. It would be better if he had written a poem protesting the child poverty rate and what is not being done about it. Teachers do not need any more pressure put on them. Wouldn’t you agree?
Sorry for the delayed response Meghan. I believe that as educators we need to focus on our locus of control. I as a teacher can do very little to address the widespread poverty in our city on a day to day basis. However, through teaching I have done everything within my power to help move that child out of their cycle of poverty. Which is what I should be striving for as a teacher anyways. So yes, it puts pressure on teachers, but no more pressure than I feel we should have on us to do the best we can each and every day for our kids.
So you think teachers DO need more pressure put on them. Interesting. Let me guess: you’re one of those Teach Plus Policy Fellows. Am I right?