Michele Pitman's response to excellent Education Week article on Compassion

Hurrah! I applaud you and your insight, Carol.

My mission as the CEO of intelliVOL.com is community service. Through community service, I see students discover something about themselves, that they are capable of giving and showing compassion to another individual through service programs run at their high school. We learn by doing. Young adults (and young children) who help others--and see the effect of their service--learn something we cannot teach through books or videos. These are lessons in compassion that positively affect someone for a lifetime.

I hope more schools will give students the opportunity “to have time to care” by building robust community service programs. Community service shouldn’t be relegated to the fringe, a voluntary club poorly attended. It should be a school’s mission, encouraged by administrators, modeled by students who pass the torch to each generation of students who enter their school.
--Michele Pitman, CEO of intelliVOL

What Really Matters in Education: Compassion

By Carol Lach, August 14, 2013, Education Week

 

An excerpt of Ms. Lach's article:
...We need to remember that education is not a one-size-fits-all product. While standards and expectations are important, we need to remember that not all students will be successful with four years of high school math. If I had been required to achieve similar athletic standards in physical education for four years in high school, I never would have graduated. If I hadn’t had teachers who dealt with the bullies and a sister who listened and understood me, I don’t know where I’d be today.

 

As you continue your work, please don’t lose sight of the students. Look for ways to help streamline policies and regulations so school staff members have time to encourage their students’ talents, and find ways to provide those students support, to be mentors, and to have the time to care.

Read the full article and comments at Education Week