A bunch of us from SLA spent the day in Harrisburg today – along with hundreds of parents and children from schools throughout Philadelphia. We were lobbying for a restoration of the cuts to the basic education fund for public education in our city. There was a rally… and there was a ton of running around from legislative office to legislative office trying to meet with senators and representatives and staffers to let our voice be heard about what we felt about our city and school.

We met with lots of folks from the Philadelphia delegation – who told us that they agreed with us. And we met with senators from the Philadelphia suburbs who were less enthustic to support our cause. It was messy – as democracy usually is… and we did a lot of on-the-fly strategizing about how to use our time best. But we had some amazing moments with politicians who truly seemed to want to hear our kids talk with energy and passion about their school in ways that we don’t hear kids talk enough these days.

At the end of the day, we reflected on where we felt we made inroads, and where we felt our voice and presence mattered less. We do think — and hope — that more members of the Philadelphia delegation will come to SLA to learn about our school. And we took a lot of pride in getting into the suburban Senate offices to talk to staffers and make our point that the health of the region still does rest on the health of our city. And we told the suburban folks about how many of their schools have sent educators to SLA to learn with us… and how Philadelphia can be – and is – a center of innovation in education, and as SLA proves, that can pay powerful dividends for the entire region. But the most interesting comment of the reflection came from one of our freshman. She said, “I learned today that we are pawns in a much larger game. But I also learned that it is important that we play the game as well as we can so we can still make a difference.”

It was a reminder that this was still a school day… and the real work that the kids did by talking to over two dozen legislators was a learning experience as well. Kids did real work that mattered. They asked amazing questions… they were using their phones all day long to research information before meetings… they were in the halls of capital discussing how they would tweak their presentations, and they spent the day in between meetings, reflecting on what they had done, what it meant, and how they could improve.

It was an amazing learning experience – real work that mattered – that might just have made a profound difference for their school as well.

And then there was the bus ride home.

We left Harrisburg… and got about 15 minutes out before our bus broke down.

There wasn’t really we could do but wait for the bus company to send a replacement bus from Philly. It was one of those moments where a community shows what is really made of. Kids could have misbehaved. Parents could have gotten horribly grumpy. And I could have let my frustration be manifest in the ways I treated the people who had taken the day off to support our school.

Instead… we got on our phones and found a place that would deliver pizza to the Turnpike.

And we made up games.

And we talked.

Or slept a bit.

And chatted with the pizza delivery lady… and the Highway First Responder who stayed with us for the entire four hour wait… and the state trooper who came out to make sure we were o.k.

And just realized that if the worst thing that would happen to us today would be to be stranded outside on a beautiful day, then we would be o.k.

And what I saw was the same spirit that infuses our hallways every day had indeed come with us, and our parents were as big of believers in culture and ethic of care of SLA as our kids are. And I was reminded of why I do what I do. And why I love it.

It was wonderful and humbling to watch parents and students bring their A-game to talk to the legislators today. It was, on some levels, even more amazing and humbling to watch them deal with the unexpected monkey wrench in a way that just made it one more fun story in the SLA lore. “Do you remember the time we couldn’t get home from Harrisburg…”

This is what democracy looks like. This is what community looks like. This is what a community of care looks like.

And I am just so proud and humbled every day to be a part of it.