November 22, 2024 Read Time:
Connectingadult learningFall GatheringENSATS
This has been a week to remember. Regardless of our beliefs, we are still unpacking the impact of the Presidential election, but what we can all agree on is that this moment represents a pivot point for our country.
How that will play out in education remains to be seen, but right now we need to learn to talk with one another across our differences, rather than let them divide us. That’s why this week’s ECLC Fall Gathering felt uniquely on point: “Conversations We Need to Have (but often avoid,)” was a day filled with learning, reflection, connection, and listening to one another. We leaned into what it means to engage in “good conflict” as opposed to “high conflict” – and that avoiding conflict is simply not an option when so much is at stake.
We thank the more than 300 educators from across our 20 communities who joined us for the day and invested in their own learning and development. We also thank our guest faculty for sharing their extraordinary talents, insights and perspectives with our members, and to our sponsors for making the day possible, especially the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation.
A special shout out to Heidi Riccio and her amazing team at the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School (ENSATS) for hosting this year’s ECLC Fall Gathering. Your space is beautiful, and it was a joy to partner with you.
Educators have a critical role in shaping the education landscape from today forward - at the classroom, school, district, state, and national levels. Let us commit to creating more spaces like this week’s Fall Gathering for adults and students to move beyond the noise of the moment, find common ground, talk through where they disagree, and create cultures where everyone feels welcome and belongs.
