The
People Upstairs
I want you to imagine a
world that revolves around numbers. A
world where children are identified not by a name, but by numerical
digits. A world where children are
expected to act the same, learn the same, and meet the same milestones at the
same times. In this world, The People Upstairs
hover over spreadsheets and databases searching for an answer. An answer that is numerical and cold. In this world it doesn’t matter what country
you come from, what neighborhood you live in, what your parents are like, or
the environment from which you come. In
this world you are assigned to a room and this specific room comes with a very
specific set of tasks that you are expected to complete. Basic human needs such as hunger, safety, and
love are not considered by The People Upstairs.
The People Upstairs don’t care if you ate breakfast, or stayed up all
night, or cried yourself to sleep. In
this world, The People Upstairs are in charge and what they say goes. Upstairs they expect all children to perform
on schedule and on time like a well-oiled machine. In this world they expect performance,
perfection, and assimilation to all rules and regulations. In this world children are expected to be
still, be quiet, be ready, be compliant, be determined, and most of all be
their definition of successful. Upstairs
the definition of successful consists of being able to draw inside a little
circle and obtain a high numerical valuation.
Upstairs the definition of successful is singular to performing this
very specific set of skills that are determined by a very specific set of
Upstairs People.
Now I want you to imagine
that this world is your world. This
world is your children’s world. This
world is populated by our future. This
world is the public education system of America. What is missing from this world? What huge pieces of the puzzle have become
extinct? What missing pieces were never
there to begin with? Why are we treating
our most precious assets like widgets in a factory?
I would dare to say that
the first and biggest thing that is missing from this world of education is the
deep consideration and respect for the basic needs of humans. Maslow taught us that human beings are not
capable of moving to higher levels of self-actualization without their basic
needs being met. Children arrive to
school daily without their physiological needs being met. Many children are hungry and tired, but if
you happen to arrive in such a state on an exam day there is no checkbox to
mark, no place to make a note, and no adjustment to your precious test
score. Many children are not made to
feel safe, secure, accepted, or loved in this world of education. Children first arrive to this world full of
love. They are inherently filled with a
love of discovery, curiosity, exploration, and intrinsic motivation. However, due to the pressure and direction of
The People Upstairs, all the love is quickly sucked out of them and labeled as
inappropriate, unnecessary, and not a standard that they need to know. Imagine what the future will hold for a
society filled with robotic performance, rather than love.
We have been blessed with
masses of tiny humans that are relying on us to show them the way. Why on Earth would we want to lead them in
the wrong direction? What if we didn’t think
about numbers or dollar signs, but of the souls of the children
themselves? What if we chose to teach
the children skills for their future and not archaic skills to pass a
test? What if we chose to do what is the
best for them and not the best for us? What
if we decided that it okay for all children to be different and unique
individuals? What if we embraced their
individual talents and skills instead of pushing them into a box of uniformity? What if we loved each child as if they were
our own?
I long for this world of
education to no longer be dictated by The People Upstairs, but to be
organically created by the little humans downstairs.
Chelsea Bergeron
