The other night while channel-surfing I came across Bill O’Reilly hawking an “American Patriot” cup and pen, then a show on a different channel that made me stop and listen.
It appeared on Gwinnett TV and it was a recording of an awards ceremony the school system hosted in February to honor its counselors.
Joe Ahrens, principal of Ferguson Elementary in Duluth, was the guest speaker and I caught the bottom-half of his message.
You may find what he said to be simple and elementary, and if so you probably are jaded and think you’re above it all as it relates to young people, their individual and shared issues, what they have to be aware of, avoid and endure en route to adulthood.
I found Ahrens’ speech refreshingly sincere, on point, and worthy of sharing with the masses. He e-mailed me the entire script, some of which appears below.
“It is time that we as educators declare war for our kids,” he told the audience. Understand that there is a huge difference between declaring war for something as opposed to declaring war against something.
“Are we trapped in a condition where we are fighting kids instead of supporting kids? Fighting parents instead of supporting parents? Fighting teachers instead of supporting teachers?
“I ask you a simple question today: ‘Why are we here?’ We have to stop using excuses — parent involvement, poverty and mobility.”
Along the way, this educator who initially had wanted to be a lawyer said he was finished listening to others provide excuses. Done.
And for those who aren’t in education for the benefit of children, he offered a suggestion. Find the door.
Fittingly, he admonished educators (parents, too) to stop letting children tell them what to do.
Rather, we should tell the kids what we want from them. What they are going to do. Then help them achieve to their best abilities.
There’s one thing this profession has taught me that typically rings true. Legit leaders shoulder the blame when situations go awry. They also spread the praise in good times, and that’s exactly what Ahrens did.
The speech, he said, had been inspired by a sermon delivered by his pastor, Buddy Hoffman of Grace Fellowship Church in Snellville.
Ahrens took that message, stripped away its biblical and spiritual themes, and adapted it for his colleagues.
“I know it sounds like a cliché, but [the sermon] was life-changing, and I have told people that and truly believe it,” he told me.
“All credit goes to [Hoffman] because he put that spark in me, and it has been burning. Being in public education and being a principal, I can do so much more, and I am ready to continue to spread the word.”
Finally, he told me about a phrase he’d embraced, one he tries to incorporate on campus. “You can’t care from a chair,” he said.
Hmm. Somebody ought to patent that phrase and inscribe it on coffee mugs and pens.
Rick Badie, an Opinion columnist, is based in Gwinnett. Reach him at rbadie@ajc.com or 770-263-3875.
