There is no mythical "again"

The key word in the Trump lexicon is ‘again.’ If you’re a 32-year-old Hispanic lawyer or a 27-year-old African-American architect or a 40-year-old white professional woman or a gay couple in Charlotte, North Carolina, you may not think things are perfect now, but there is no mythical ‘again’ you are trying to get back to. Ron Brownstein, of The Atlantic (via David Leonhardt, New York Times)

from What if the curves were going the other way? Seth Godin

A return to the "good old days" seems to be a motivating force for many American voters this (thankfully soon over) election.

Personally, I would rather be living today than in any other time in history. I phone my mother who is 84 each week and one topic of conversation lately has been how she has had to have a tooth pulled. One tooth. We both remember my grandparents' teeth in a glass by the side of the bed. Not a tooth in their heads.

How times have changed  - and for the better.

I would argue that despite our challenges, things are getting increasingly better in public education as well. Yes, not enough of our kids are achieving at a high enough level. Yes, we need to modernize our curricula to meeting current work and societal demands. Yes, we need to use better methods for keeping our kids more engaged in school.

But I would say that we are doing a better job, with more kids, in better facilities, with better teachers than anytime in my 40 year career in education.

I don't want to "make education great again." It never was.

I want to make education ever better.

I voted for a better future, not a return to any mythical past. I hope you did too.