I was surprised that nothing "official" was done by my school district. The Governor of Massachusetts and the Mayor of Boston had called on the public to participate. President Obama participated privately.
So - rather than asking for permission, I just organized my own moment of silence. I told as many teachers as I could in our building to hold a moment of silence in their classes.
There isn't anything particularly malicious about the lack of "official" effort on the part of the school district. Really, it is just a sin of omission. But why?
The focus on testing, career and college-readiness, and so-called "achievement" has warped the purposes of school and public education. Originally, schools were interested in producing good citizens rather than productive workers.
Our superintendents, administrators and school leaders have not deliberately ignored the people of Boston. It is just that they are not paying attention. Even a moment of silence doesn't fit into our scheme of "no interruptions" as we prepare for the all-important state test.
We have lost something as a nation. We have lost our focus on molding good citizens who love their neighbors and love their country along with its history, laws and traditions.
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