10/19/2021

My Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Thanks for attending the Teacher of the Year festivities yesterday. I enjoyed your story about being asked to run for Senator while you were dressed in a towel with shaving cream on your face. I appreciated hearing about the powerful influence of your prof, Dr. Ingersoll, & his reference to Plato’s platitude, “the penalty good people pay for not being involved in politics is being governed by people worse than themselves." I happen to disagree with his premise specifically that some people are better than others, nonetheless the sentiment that government is only as good as the people making the laws sits well.  I also liked your lines about the “gigantic” role of teachers as “the kite strings that lift our nation’s ambitions aloft.”

            I loved hearing both teachers speak to the importance of connecting with families. Juliana Urtubey’s school garden, which she describes as “magical place” where people are transformed, inspired me to dream about getting involved in such an effort. Tabatha Rosproy’s PK school embedded in a retirement community where children have the loving attention of elders also sounds amazing. Both of these folks demonstrate that teachers often go above & beyond because as you noted, “teaching is not what you do, it’s who you are. It’s what you’re made of.”

            I hope your conversations about our legislative agenda go well today. I think it’s ok to have income restrictions on the child credit but I don’t think there should be a work requirement. Parents should have the opportunity to stay home with their children if that’s what makes everyone happier.

            Why not employ the gross national happiness index as Bhutan does? This would make it easier to consider the effects of BBB & other bills. Much better than the GDP.

                  Please take a look at today’s NYT article about the refugees who are fleeing the Chin state in Burma & consider what we can do to help.

                  BYBS,