High Altitude Learning, LLC

…and duties as assigned sets out to invite civil discourse about the range of responsibilities and versatility of skills expected of today’s U.S. public-school teachers. Using stories drawn from personal experience and amplified using Fermi Problem reasoning, these posts serve both as a tribute to the collective innovation underlying our universal free and public education AND as a high-pitched silent scream for the layers of complexity that hamstring this objective....

…and duties as assigned …and duties as assigned sets out to invite civil discourse about the range of responsibilities and versatility of skills expected of today’s U.S. public-school teachers. Using stories drawn from pe…

On Bastille Day 2021 my father, William Allison, received the French Legion of Honor award for his heroic acts in support of securing France's liberation during WWII. The ceremony took place at the home of the French Ambassador in Washington, D.C., and was presided over by the Ambassador himself, along with Secretaries of State from both nations. During this emotional ceremony much was said about the value and loyalty of our long-standing friendship as countries committed to democratic ideals.

Witnessing just two months later the abrupt recall of the ambassador from Washington in response to a breakdown of trust between our countries hit me hard. France demonstrated courage and clear resolve in its response to the insult of exclusion from critical negotiations in which they should have been directly involved. By denying them a place at the table, we have damaged our friendship, our credibility, and our commitment to shared democratic ideals.

Exclusion, in its many manifestations, harms our progress towards a just and peaceful world. As we work to make amends with France, may we each go deeper in our own understanding of how exclusion permeates our lives, and with this awareness take personal responsibility in righting the wrongs inflicted by it.