Hot Topics on Northwest Corner Chatter (of CT)...How to Keep Small Public Schools (and Towns who need Volunteers on Boards and for Fire and Ambulance Squads)Up and Running

Marshall Miles and Others 'tells it like it is'. Enrollment in a six town region in the northwest corner of CT has gone down in a year by 66 students. The numbers were low and declining anyway...and the worry is that may continue. How can things be turned around? Some schools allow students to attend for only $2K even though the per pupil cost is $20-30K (adding in the cost of maintaining the schools and the set salaries of teachers in CT as well as special ed student costs which can be high...so this is only for those going into the classroom I'm guessing.)

There is a lot to consider and primarily the people in the schools, particularly the Boards of Ed, are tasked with dealing with a problem likely many in the towns and from other areas could help address. Many raise concerns about children attending local private high schools. Others see the challenge of affording to live and work in the area in the first place or long enough for their children to get through the schools and high school.

I have offered a few ideas there and I will put more here. I have been thinking of this issue overall, about how to help all families feel included and successful on many levels, including educationally, since this was my hometown area where many of my relatives went to school for  almost two decades before I was even born in the early 1960s. I'd like to think we've all come a long way since the Viet Nam War...and if we realize the strides made with Civil Rights and the growth of the internet to help with communications locally, nationally and internationally. We now factor in DNA,  some say beyond, with those in spirit to learn of past lives and spiritual possibilities that once were only in the realm of sci fi. Then there are UFOs, aliens and fake ones that seem real (see Steven Greer for insights on that online and at The Disclosure Project.)

But still we need places to live, people to make communities and land to live on that's safe (from invasive plants and dangerous critters), water to drink and use that's not polluted or downright harmful and ditto for the air that can be impacted by factories near and far. Some say radio cell towers are not without their negative health impacts (RF, radio frequency) and that was a big issue Blake Levitt among others have tried to warn us about before America demanded coverage.

Many older people still like to manage without electronic devices...and maybe more towns and places could have advocates to do the digital work for others readily. But there is a digital divide. Some say 'the robots are coming' and add to that options to have more cyborgs (people with some computer parts to  maintain or enhance their abilities.) 

The basic discussion is about the current and future face of public education in small towns (since this is a common problem in many rural areas, and maybe one similar to other problems in even urban areas...where kids may be plentiful but programs and funding may not be, nor the adequate housing etc.)

I share concerns for all of these ground-up programs... yet also feel we can look at many related concerns, so I do that both on FB and here on the blog. The following is what I put on the Northwest Corner Chatter which is now a public page on FB.

See more on my blog livfully.org about many ways to consider our human condition, ideas from permaculture and 'transition town' ideas to create meaningful social and practical networks to ease energy uses...and to allow more people to get in the conversation and support one another.

Likely we need a massive outreach to youth in general (and families with young children or those planning to adopt etc) to tell them we would really like to be on their team but we haven't figured out how to do meaningful outreach and see what people need and help find resources in a timely manner...

That's a lot of what the outreach Acorns to Trusty Oaks Team Outreach (and Friends United Network) was intended to do... create a sense of connection and empowerment to everyone in a common area, group, school etc. I am happy to have help with these idea and see now as the time it could really make a difference for our country and even world.

Allowing more discussion about what people of each biological and otherwise determined gender and age need to live and be safe, then to see what laws and practices afford people support along those lines and find groups to back those standards up with accountability and add some cultural, educational standards could help everyone become more tuned in to the adventure of being part of a learning, positive growth community, state and nation.

People of each age by decade could look out for one another with more people focusing on the first decade or two and then coaching younger people along. As people age and feel they need more support, it may be that the younger people could find ways to pair up with people to assist with basic needs such as in the Village To Village movement to help people age in place.

That may look like people in their 20s-50s helping people in their 60s-90s etc...and vice versa if more wisdom or other kinds of support are needed. Ideally most people over 75 would drive with extra caution (and everyone could have a friend give them honest input about their driving skills and basic way of living.)

Finding support to work on organizing things, getting routines and life focus can be a shared discussion (much like AARP promotes, but can pertain to people of any age. ) Many children live in two or more places due to daycare, shared caregiving and so on which requires added levels of communication and more support, sometimes with DCF or court orders factoring in heavily.

More people need to learn about safety on many levels so they don't break the law or live in danger without recognizing the signs of abuse and control (or domestic violence, school or workplace bullying and so on.) With the modern world and internet more group learning could happen to assure 'everybody gets the message.' Lundy Bancroft offers some insights for victims of abuse or conflicting relationships in a book with other info for their 'qualifier or partner' on the site ShouldIStayOrShouldIGo.net.

 Again there is a lot more info on DV today than even ten years ago. Safety for youth could be a shared concern, with more proactive talks about what is legal, reasonable and what is concerning so children and teens would be less apt to be caught up in the demands of an abusive person in their lives, whether a parent (generally a Dad but sometimes a Mom who likely has some other stressors and who may also be a victim. There IS a gender aspect to abuse, and it's primarily 'male violence against females.'

It's throughout out culture, religions, laws, politics, schooling and so on. It's not a benefit to the overall functioning of society either and basically women have been silenced for centuries so it's not exactly easy to get women to think or talk about the Possibilities... So again we all would benefit from checking in with those difficult underpinnings for females as well as for minorities and people of low-income.

Often the success of many educational and religious organizations and much of our country was built on the theft of resources and people from Africa..yes, the slave trade. This reality needs to be considered by more people in public schools so history could reflect reality more than it typically does. We all have a lot of 're-thinking and reflecting to do'...and ideally find ways to help 'set things right' or toward a more balanced future. UHURU folks would like to see many specific reforms put in place sooner rather than later.

They are brave to share with the world what's what and how we might do better. All of these struggles have kept us involved with the notion that 'something's not going well.' Now it turns out the whole planet could be in peril sooner than later. So in a way we've had the training to pay attention and get involved as though our well-being and survival depended on it.

The truth could be very helpful to consider on many levels... Making amends as possible and joining together for meaningful discussions and sharing options to network and share resources would be a plus too. That's what permaculture and books like Drawdown offer, with programs at Omega in Rhinebeck and others online leading the way. Thanks to all willing to read through these points and refine with insights, examples and interest in further discussion.