Tuesday, September 8, 2009

LCW West

Today was Theo's first day of school at the new site on the Rosewood campus. LCW is relegated to a clump of portables on the north side of the campus--nothing gorgeous--but land we are supremely grateful for. And the principal from Rosewood has been gracious and helpful every step of the way in a process that must be very difficult: sharing a campus with an upstart charter.

I walked in today and I was stunned. In a month parents and teachers have transformed the space. A new garden has been planted along the fence and hay bales have been placed out to sit upon--reminiscent of those at the original Edible School Yard in Berkeley, at Martin Luther King Middle School. The classrooms are painted freshly, and each door has the LCW insignia painted on it in bright green. I was reminded powerfully that a great school does not require endless money or high tech. This corner of a beautiful old school property looks amazing because a group of parents and teachers combed over it and worked every inch of it with love and care. It shows and they have made it a magical place. I did not a thing on this project but I was so proud. Parents and their labor make a difference. We are not helpless. We are the power.

1 comment:

AJ said...

I also went to a public school. My high school was SO bad, I could not even get into a college out of it -- but I feel as though growing up in a more *unfortunate* area of the Bay Area helped me with life lessons I never would have learned otherwise. It is important for today's YOUNG youth to see the conditions that the PUBLIC goes through -- it builds a strong foundation of tolerance and acceptance that is really, really lacking in this country right now.