here eye stand erica goldson valedictorian speech

erica goldson valedictorian speech text Results https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M4tdMsg3ts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jZHNjc4Xk0 http://americaviaerica.blogspot.com/p/speech.html

Below is the video and transcript of the Coxsackie-Athens HS Class of 2010 valedictory speech that went viral on the web, thus proclaiming me as the 'valedictorian who spoke out against schooling.' Here I Stand Erica Goldson June 25, 2010 There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast - How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if Ireally, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path." This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective. Some of you may be thinking, “Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible. I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared. John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, “We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that.” Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt. H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States. (Gatto) To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the notion of “critical thinking.” Is there really such a thing as “uncritically thinking?” To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth? This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is. And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us. We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still. The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation. For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, “You have to learn this for the test” is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades. For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake. For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth. So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians. I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later” when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so! Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest 167 comments: Image Venus as a boyJune 24, 2011 at 1:28 PM THANK YOU! Reply Image AnonymousJuly 5, 2011 at 10:05 AM Good for you for speaking the truth. I'm surprised they let you finish. Reply Replies Image AnonymousDecember 6, 2013 at 6:14 PM Same here! Reply Image Bob FrancisJuly 9, 2011 at 4:29 PM Excellent! A++ My advice for you is to find that goal the Zen master talked about - Everyday! Finding your goal is not as easy as one may think, due in large part because we are not trained to think "outside of the box", as you know. Let your heart decide what you truly want - you may need, nay, you will need to train your mind (read: Think and Grow Rich - not necessarily to get rich, but to open your understanding mind and to train your sub-conscious what and how to think. Your goal may well be to help the school systems change the way our children are taught; maybe to have them fully aware of the "real world". I do know that I wish my kids were more aware, because now that they are in their twenties, they are wondering what they want to do with their lives. Blessings and Peace and Love and Joy to you and yours. Oh PS. - Congratulations on your achievements:) Reply Image UnknownJuly 11, 2011 at 8:46 PM I truly believe and feel that this speech has just altered my live in ways that I cannot fathom right now but hope to discover soon. Absolutely amazing! Reply Image tiberius016July 16, 2011 at 9:25 PM You have a privileged place on my tumblr blog (escapethamatrix.tumblr.com) I'm with you. Let's create a better system of education, economics, and the rest. Check out this speech by Salman Khan: http://youtu.be/gM95HHI4gLk. Exciting stuff!! Reply Image NicoleJuly 19, 2011 at 3:18 AM As an educator, mother, and human being, I thank you for saying the truth. I am currently working on my doctorate in Educational Leadership, simply for the paper that says I'm "smart enough" for people to listen to me. I think like you think and will be vehemently working on creating a better future for future generations. Reply Image download failed. Kelly HogaboomJuly 22, 2011 at 2:10 AM Thank you so much - you are brave and wiser than many. I could have spoken these words about my character and accomplishments when I graduated but I was still busy feeling the only thing important about me was my good-girl test-taker record. Today after many trials and much suffering I'm a happy person raising (unschooled) kiddos - kids far more self-validated, intelligent, caring, and brave than I ever was. When I see young people such as yourself speaking out this way I feel so excited for the new generation. Wonderful stuff. Reply Image Jennifer S.August 15, 2011 at 7:15 AM I watched your video just now and reposted it a few times. CLEARLY TOTALLY AWESOME ERICA!!! That was great! I'm very happy you spoke truth. You are truly very smart to speak up to make people aware. Fucking awesome! I went through college working the whole time and taking honors classes and when I got out all that praise didn't mean anything because I suddenly became and indentured servant who had to work off her $30,000 school loans. I have had to work shitty office jobs making advertising propaganda for shitty money-centered non-humanistic people all so I can just get to what I love which is art. I'm so glad there are people your age smart enough to wake other people up so this system gets reorganized. Education should be FREE for anybody who wants to learn and it should be structured differently to bring out people's real true talents. Reply Image Jennifer S.August 15, 2011 at 8:11 AM When I hear the quote, "FREEDOM isn't FREE" it kinda makes me wonder... Then what is it actually? Isn't "freedom" actually a self-defining adjective? This is like saying "the state of being FREE, COSTS." Well, if something costs, then why even call it FREE and then tell me it costs? This is the kind of bullshit that brainwashes stupid people. This is why young people like you are awesome to make people truly realize they are conditioned drones until they wake themselves up with self-honesty like you did. Reply Replies Image AnonymousApril 17, 2012 at 4:10 PM Jennifer, The phrase "Freedom isn't free" refers to this country and the "freedoms" we have compaired to other countries that don't have the privilages we do. And to keep these freedoms from being taken away from us by other jelous countries, we have to pay a price. The price being lives lost keeping the ill intentioned parties, be it whole countries or bands of thugs, at bay and not on our soil. The price can be high at times as it has in the past. Granted, some wars, declaired or undeclaired (unlawful) are started with ulterior motives by certain powerful global financiers. But our freedom to live the way we desire is slowly disentergrating under the current government system which has grown beyond the powers originally intended by our founding fathers. I'm getting off tract but our freedom does come at a cost. Reply Image AnonymousAugust 17, 2011 at 10:07 AM This speech is simply amazing and wonderful...I feel hope when I read something like this.... The most important thing is being grateful for what/who takes us to the point where we are now...& the choice to break free from a system that takes away from the truth & our potential. THANK YOU Reply Replies Image AnonymousJuly 16, 2013 at 2:36 AM nice font Reply Image BrendaAugust 17, 2011 at 3:11 PM Wonderful speech Erica. I have shared it with many of my home educating friends. I have been home educating all of my children for many years now because of the horrible condition of the public schools. My children range in age of 31 down to 13 now. Reply Image AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 10:09 PM I'm just a random guy that you will probably never know nor meet. Your speech was amazing and touching. Thank you. Reply Image deeanyoSeptember 5, 2011 at 5:34 AM I always thought the same way as you but you actually had the courage to speak up. The rules of the system is simple, complied with it and you'll have security whether it be job/family/area you live in. I used to learn and now I complied because I couldn't find a job without a title. I will still remain the slave of this system until the system gives me a title that tells me I'm worthy. Tell me how everything turns out for you after college. Reply Image bimbimSeptember 11, 2011 at 10:16 AM i found a transcript of your speech last year and posted it on my Notes on Facebook. i just wanna say thank you for saying what you said. keep doing what you do. Reply Image The Marxist FarmerSeptember 14, 2011 at 10:53 PM I herd about your speech at the HS i went to 30 miles west of Albany. Im graduated but i plan to disrupt next years HS gradution at my HS. Any ideas on how to disrupt a public event? Reply Image Nyrere Steven NorfleetSeptember 16, 2011 at 1:38 PM You are what I expect of the future. You have instilled so much hope in me that you cannot fathom. Why? because now I know that I am not the only one who feels as you feel about the realities of our education system. I always felt that this world did not fit what it is to be normal,especially considering how we all begin our lives via the education system. It is a flawed construct that must be completely revised. Erica, you are a hero in my eyes and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. You are a true light bringer. Let your illumination shine on all. I honor you and may god bless you. Reply Image AnonymousSeptember 17, 2011 at 12:50 PM As a long time middle school wage-slave, I was thrilled to find that your avant-garde English teacher challenged you to question the point of playing the 'grade game' in assembly-line schooling. There is a growing understanding among educators that students, rather than teachers, are best qualified to determine what they should study and how. My son is 'unschooled' and it is with great pity and respect for my students that I continuously redirect learning in my classroom to critical and constructive thinking and collaboration. You have given us all hope for a future of free thinking and compassionate friends. Thank you. Reply Image AnonymousSeptember 18, 2011 at 3:35 PM I must say that speech blew me away. A true free thinker. No matter which road you take you are a winner. Reply Image AnonymousSeptember 18, 2011 at 3:53 PM Erica, You had the courage to speak the truth, hats off to you. 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