Disaster and Hope

In the fall, as I was applying for Teach for America (TFA), I made the opportunity to talk to some TFA alums to learn more about their experiences. While I took something from each of them, I remember one snippet perhaps more vividly now. An alum from New Orleans had explained to me that while Hurricane Katrina had been awful for the city, in some ways, it had a positive impact on the school district. How? Well, given that the whole city had to be re-built, much of it from the ground up, the entire school district could also be re-structured to create a more successful learning environment. The reason I remember this, I think, is because at the time I believed that Detroit could never have its own hurricane to force such a change.

Now I think otherwise. GM and Chrysler declaring bankruptcy was unthinkable at the time. I hadn't been at home to keep up with the news, to see the foreclosures, to understand the numbers flying around. I don't know if anyone could have predicted this, but Detroit is currently experiencing a financial hurricane, and it's likely that the population will never return to the way things were. In the midst of that bleakness, I have to believe that closing 29 schools and restructing 40 more is going to implement the vast changes that Detroit needs. I choose to believe that things will change for the better and that I can be a part of that. I love this place too much to accept anything else.