Revel, Rebel or Revolt?

You say you want a revolution?

We all want to change the world.

You tell me that it's evolution;

We all want to change the world…

There are calls for revolution everywhere today; in education, economics, environment, law, government, international relations…and in many cases the call smacks of change for change’s sake. It has to be better than our current situation. Right?

Let’s think this through:

• We can revel in the romance of the notion of change while continuing business as usual.

• We can rebel against our current circumstances because they’re no longer acceptable.

• Or we can revolt and initiate a complete change in how we think, learn, work, create and problem-solve.

Each has its own implications for our future and our children’s future.

“If you’re serious about leading a revolution, why not blow the lid off of this thing and let everyone do what they want? We’ll surely see innovation and learn new ways to do things!”

Really? Does revolution mean freedom…and does freedom mean everyone gets to do whatever they want? Based on the current education landscape, some people must think so. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Revolution - a complete change - requires informed choices, visionary strategy and thoughtful implementation. Public education is not in need of a coup de tat…and revolution is not anarchy.

Consider these examples of revolution from just the last 300 years:

• American - April 1775: British forces march to Lexington and Concord looking for stockpiles of ammunition. When the first shot is fired, colonists run for cover and the British proceeded as planned. On the way back to Boston, colonists hide in the woods and take potshots picking off the redcoats one at a time. There was no way they could win the war this way; Washington trained them to fight the British face-to-face so that independence could be won.

• French - July 1789: Parisian citizens storm the prison Bastille as a symbol of ruling class oppression, beginning the French Revolution. The resulting decade is characterized by social unrest and violent upheavals, ending with the founding of the Second French Republic; an era of autocratic emperors. In 1871 a presidency is established that has evolved today to work with a prime minister, senate and national assembly.

• German - January 1871: the Franco-Prussian War begins as the two powers fight over who will ascend to the Spanish throne. As a political and military strategy, German princes proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia “Emperor Wilhelm of the German Empire,” forming the nation of Germany. Over the next 120 years the German state goes through successive revolts before democratic and communist Germany finally reunite in 1989.

• Italian - July 1871: the onset of the Franco-Prussian war requires France to recall its troops home from protecting the Vatican. Rome is now occupied by pro-Italian unification forces and the modern state of Italy forms. For 75 years its national identity develops as the new nation undergoes several changes in government. In 1948 Italy becomes a modern republic with a president, a council of ministers and a parliament.

• Russian - March 1917: The first Russian Revolution replaces the long-standing ruling Romanov family with a parliamentary government. However, civil unrest persists and the Bolsheviks lead a second revolt eight months later, ousting the existing provisional government and instituting a communist regime that holds power for 70 years until its dissolution in 1991. Russia continues to evolve today as the Russian Federation.

You say you got a real solution?

We'd all want to see the plan.

You ask me for a contribution;

We're all doing what we can…

In each case, revolution is not a call to anarchy, but to a new order in society that will move everyone forward. Yes anarchist ideology can be found threaded throughout the fabric of history as a call for extreme change…but the resulting upheaval never leads to anarchy as the end goal. Why? Change requires constants. Think about it. When you solve an algebraic equation for the variable, you have to work with the known values to solve the problem. Trying to solve x + y * z = n is wide open. Anyone can plug in the values they want…so there’s really no value at all.

Revolution is a necessary-yet-temporary state in the change process that leads to new order, and that new order is identified by commonly accepted values.

Values are key:

• Once the American colonists won Independence from Great Britain, they built a new republic based on personal liberties, inclusion and openness.

• Once the monarchy was brought down, the French people worked through a number of iterations of government before realizing the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.

• The unification of both Germany and Italy may have occurred out of political and military necessity, but both peoples persevered in order to realize today’s valued republics.

Creating a revolution requires connecting to the values of the larger community in which you live…the people who will be served by your efforts…if those efforts are going to be successful and sustainable. Working in an isolated pocket of innovation is all fine and well, but it does not impact people outside your immediate sphere of influence. If you believe you have the answers to move education forward, come out of isolation and plant in your seeds in open fields in the light of day. Of course the climate is unpredictable and the soil can be unforgiving, but it is the only way to give your ideals a chance to take root, thrive and grow.

You say you'll change the constitution?

We'd all love to change your head.

You tell me it's the institution;

You better free your mind instead…

This past weekend the “Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action” took place in Washington DC, after months of planning and organizing. I have picked up snippets of information from blogs and web sites, but for all the organizer’s efforts to hold the event, it did not receive coverage from the mainstream media. While those who attended will no doubt feel invigorated and encouraged to continue their work, it is unfortunate that it did not get the attention of American citizens who vote and pay taxes. We can build consensus and work together within our ranks, but we need to connect to the larger community if we are going to change public education for the better.

Our choices are clear:

• Revel - stay in our comfort zone, talk about change and do nothing

• Rebel - stay in our comfort zone and complain about our circumstances

• Revolt - break out of our comfort zone, change the ways we do business, reach out to education stakeholders everywhere, and make the necessary changes to transform education

What is the right choice? History shows us that when a society’s needs aren’t being met, revolution erupts from outside the existing system, because that system is perceived as the problem. Sound familiar?

With apologies to John Lennon:

Everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout…

Revolution, evolution, education,

Communication, cooperation, innovation,

Collaboration, transformation, congratulations!

All we are saying is give change a chance...