Evan Young, an 18-year-old graduating senior at Longmont’s Twin Peaks Charter Academy High School, Valedictorian of his class with a 4.5 GPA and a scholarship to Rutgers University, agreed to several advance edits to his speech by school Principal BJ Buchmann. He resisted when Buchmann told him to also take out his disclosure of being gay.
The principal called his parents to talk about the speech and his actions. In the process, he ‘outed’ Evan to his parents who had not known this about their son. Fortunately his parents support their son.
He was not allowed to give his speech nor was his valedictory status even mentioned during the graduation ceremony. The larger community has responded with widespread support including a gathering where Evan read his speech.
If you haven’t seen this story, here is a link.
I go back to Taylor Mali’s poem. This is the role of educators. This is our purpose in education.
Like Lily Like Wilson
Taylor Mali
Bearing Witness: Poetry by Teachers about Teaching
I’m writing the poem that will change the world,
and it’s Lilly Wilson at my office door.
Lilly Wilson, the recovering addict,
the worst I’ve ever seen.
So, like, bad the whole eighth grade
Started calling her Like Lilly Like Wilson Like.
Until I declared my classroom a Like-Free Zone,
and she could not speak for days.
But when she finally did, it was to say,
Mr. Mali, this is….is so hard.
Now I have to think before I….say anything.
Imagine that, Lilly.
It’s for your own good.
Even if you don’t like….
it.
I’m writing the poem that will change the world,
and it’s Lilly Wilson at my office door.
Lilly is writing a research paper for me
about how homosexuals shouldn’t be allowed
to adopt children.
I’m writing the poem that will change the world,
and it’s Like Lilly Like Wilson at my office door.
She’s having trouble finding sources,
which is to say, ones that back her up.
They all argue in favor of what I thought I was against.
And it took four years of college,
three years of graduate school,
and every incidental teaching experience I have ever had
to let out only,
Well, that’s a real interesting problem, Lilly.
But what do you propose to do about it?
That’s what I want to know.
And the eighth grade mind is a beautiful thing;
Like a newborn baby’s face, you can often see it
change before your very eyes
I can’t believe I’m saying this, Mr. Mali,
but I think I’d like to switch sides.
And I want to tell her to do more than just believe it,
but to enjoy it!
That changing your mind is one of the best ways
of finding out whether or not you still have one.
Or even that minds are like parachutes,
that it doesn’t matter what you pack them with so long as they open
at the right time.
O God, Lilly I want to say
you make me feel like a teacher,
and who could ask to feel more than that?
I want to say all this but manage only
Lilly, I am like so impressed with you!
So I finally taught somebody something,
namely, how to change her mind.
And learned in the process that if I ever change the world
it’s going to be one eighth grader at a time.
shared with general permission offered by Taylor Mali on his website.