Learning from Lincoln

I'm reading a book ....need to share the intro with you:

Learning from Lincoln

by Harvey Alvy and Pam Robbins

Abraham Lincoln. His life and work evoke possibility, humility, hope, and moral leadership. Frederick Douglass may have said it best. On April 14, 1876, Douglass was the keynote speaker at the dedication of the Freedmen's Monument in Washington, D.C. On this occasion, Douglass said of Lincoln:

Though high in position, the humblest could approach him and feel at home in his presence. Though deep, he was transparent; though strong, he was gentle; though decided and pronounced in his convictions, he was tolerant toward those who differed from him, and patient under reproaches... The hard condition of his early life, which would have depressed and broken down weaker men, only gave greater life, vigor, and buoyancy to the heroic spirit of Abraham Lincoln. (Oakes, 2007, pp. 270–271)

Lincoln's leadership helped a nation continue a journey toward equality—a journey that has not yet been completed.

As school leaders, we, too, are embarked upon an unfinished journey, a journey characterized by possibility and guided by the sacred proposition that "all men are created equal."^* Lincoln's words and deeds related to equality and possibility serve as a beacon for all school leaders—principals, teachers, and superintendents—illuminating a keen focus on what is important in their work to help students realize the gift of democracy. Lincoln's beliefs and actions also have profound implications for 21st century initiatives and challenges, such as closing the achievement gap and reducing the high school dropout rate. Lincoln knew that realizing possibility for every individual could not occur without the desire and opportunity to learn. His life story portrays that reality. Rising from humble roots, Lincoln achieved his goals through hard work, dedicated and focused independent study, and perseverance. In his classic biography of Lincoln, Benjamin Thomas (1952) notes:

Education seemed to him the most important question a people could consider, for every man should have sufficient education to enable him to read the history of his own and of other countries, [then quoting Lincoln] "by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions... to say nothing of the advantages and satisfaction derived from all being able to read the scriptures and other works, both of a religious and moral nature, for themselves." (p. 29)

So, is it really"change" we need to think about..... or maybe we start to think in terms of recovering what we have lost......? Just a thought.....

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/110036.aspx