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Greetings from PEN
GREETINGS FROM THE PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION NETWORK!
Hello Beautiful PEN Community!
So much has changed since we last published an issue last summer, or since we gathered at the University of Minnesota in October for a lovely and rejuvenating national conference. We are huddled around screens, connecting with our students via emails and video chats, finding creative ways to keep together the carefully knit bonds of classroom communities. We’ve quickly become experts in educational apps, carved out makeshift workspaces in our homes, and juggled our own family and personal needs. We keep reminding ourselves, “This is not normal life. This is a pandemic.” We hope you are all being gentle with yourselves during this time. We had planned most of this issue for you already, so we are sharing what we have. We invite you to send us your ideas for how you have kept the principles of Progressive Education alive virtually for our next issue.
In this issue, you will find four wonderful pieces from progressive educators sharing their own take on what is “progressive.” We love being able to feature all your good work around the country and collectively create “What Progressive Education Means to Me.” Thank you Becky Bob-Waksberg, Ann Douglas, Chris Kruger, and Frank Mosca for generously sharing your work. We also check in on our wonderful NIPEN cohort (National Institute of PEN) and their visit to the Christa McAuliffe School in Saratoga, CA and recap our National Conference. Lastly, we celebrate our Love Out Loud contest student winner, as we continue to think of our dear friend, colleague, and Board member Chris Collaros, who passed away about a year ago.
We want to welcome Andrew Williams to our National Board, who teaches 5th grade at Wickliffe Progressive Elementary outside Columbus, Ohio. A longtime active PEN participant and NIPEN alum, Andrew brings a rock solid belief in empowering youth through progressive teaching. He also happens to be a highly skilled baker, which anyone who has tasted his creations will immediately appreciate! We welcome back founding Board member Kate (McClellan) Baker to emeritus status. Kate recently retired from classroom teaching after twentynine years in progressive early elementary education. She is pursuing her second master’s degree to be able to serve families in Chicago as a family counselor. Both Andrew and Kate represent public schools in our network and we are glad to have their viewpoint.
Especially during this time, more than ever, we are grateful to convene such a thoughtful, hopeful, and visionary network of educators. We keep saying, these are strange times indeed, but also we encourage all of you to look for the opportunities that may emerge during the coming months to rethink, reimagine, and reinvigorate education. May we all experience connection and community through our work.
Sunny Pai, on behalf of the PEN Board
