Clare Consultation, LLCPosted on March 11, 2013 by Mary Clare
Ready to Learn
Today I was a peripheral part of a discussion on schools – specifically that now familiar notion applied to preschool and kindergarten aged children, “readiness to learn.” Hmmm. Ever since G.W. Bush announced the launch of “No Child Left Behind,” with its guarantee of advancing the fiscal security of the standardized test industry nationwide – ever since he said as part of that initiative that “every child will come to school ready… Read More
Posted on February 10, 2013 by Mary Clare
Liberating Leadership with In-State Tuition for Children of Immigrants
Note – Last week a young woman from the Student Alliance Project contacted me to request I write testimony in support of legislation to be proposed this week making available in-state tuition for young adults who live in Oregon and are children of immigrants. This is what I wrote. My name is Mary Clare. My ancestors of record came to this continent as early as the 1600’s. They came from Europe… Read More
Posted on January 13, 2013 by Mary Clare
Things that Fall from the Sky
“If you have time to stop for a minute, I’ve got something to show you back at the bus,” my new friend Peter says. “Something that fell from the sky.” “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” I ask. His blue eyes spark as his usually stone-still face lifts with the hint of a smile. “Yep,” he says, “bigger than a breadbox.” We are sitting across from one another in a red vinyl… Read More
Posted on December 18, 2012 by Mary Clare
What do we learn? What do we teach? The days after Sandy Hook
Love that takes us out of ourselves and binds us to something larger. President Obama Newtown, CT 12-16-2012 The days move by in this the darkest season for the Northern Hemisphere. Saturday was the day after, Sunday two days after, Monday three, Tuesday four …. These days will pass into months and years, and those of us still drawing breath in these wild and precious lives will continue. As we do, we… Read More
Posted on November 26, 2012 by Mary Clare
Amidst the Fuss about Mexican Immigration and Gay Marriage
Last night, I stood rinsing 50 plates, stacking in a small tower the ones that didn’t fit in the first run of the dishwasher. Behind me a loosely coordinated team of cooks fussed over flan one woman had made. “I wasn’t expecting 50…!” she whispered. “Loaves and fishes time,” said the mountainous man with the big hands and superb skill with savory and spice. These are other things I heard – “Is… Read More
Posted on October 21, 2012 by Mary Clare
How to Listen to Presidential Candidates
My work is in a graduate school. I am responsible for helping prepare people to be educators, mental health professionals and community leaders. We need them, so I give my very best to enabling their brilliance and their good hearts. One of the questions I often ask my students is, “What do you want?” I sometimes have them write for a while – a good while – in answer to this question. … Read More
Posted on September 30, 2012 by Mary Clare
Plane Delays and Collaboration across Cultures
It is Sunday afternoon. I’m sitting in the Alumni Center of Austin College in Sherman, TX. I’m here for a few days to support a conversation and the development of a relationship between this small independent liberal arts school and Native American Tribes and communities. My job is to keep the listening and speaking going – and to join in the identification of steps to be taken toward building friendship and collaboration… Read More
Posted on September 3, 2012 by Mary Clare
Building it.
Of late a good deal of national opposition has arisen around the words “build it.” Some months ago, our president made a point in a public (and arguably campaign) speech about the labor that supports most, if not all of the social activity in this country, including business. Some folks heard his comments as indicating they shouldn’t get credit for their work. The media and campaign publicity machines got hold of the… Read More
Posted on June 15, 2012 by Mary Clare
Listening to “Madness”
I could be referring to life in the U.S.A. this week what with the celebrated obstruction of voting rights in Florida, a spate of sensationalized cannibalism and, from our president and senior legislators astonishing bipartisan horror about leaks with not even a mention of concern for human life (aka, collateral damage) or the existence of a “kill list” in the first place. This, my friends, is surely madness whether we are privy… Read More
Posted on May 31, 2012 by Mary Clare
AIDS Lifecycle – “I’m doing this for all of us.”
“I am leaving on Saturday to join a team of medical professionals to support AIDS LifeCycle – a 7 day, 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco to LA.” These were the first words of an email I received this week from Calliope Crane (Voice 99 in 100 Voices – Americans Talk about Change). Calliope and her cycling companions are pictured here. In the way people in this country do with pretty… Read More