Yah But

It was pointed out to me recently that the opposite of “YahBut” is “What If” – which is a rather interesting idea.  Actually, we have a school in RUSD that is discussing what happens, if we replace the word “can’t” with “how” – which is a similar idea. 

“What if” – allows us to dream a bit, even in the face of tough circumstances (or outstanding opportunities?).  Potentially, we may through this process "see" connections and possibilities that were not immediately obvious otherwise.

So in a crazy way here might be some “what ifs”:

• What if 2d became 3d?
• What if we were focused on learning rather than teaching and testing?
• What if we built ideas rather than tore them down?
• What if we doubled the college completion rate of all of our students in Riverside?
• What if we gave each other the benefit of the doubt rather than am allegation of dissonance?
• What if we doubled our math performance at all grades in RUSD?
• What if our students had access to high-quality learning 24 hours per day for everyday of the year?
• What if “YahButs” were replaced with what ifs half of the time?
• What if California led the nation in educational innovation?
• What if the U.S. led the world in the production of ideas and thought-leadership?
• What if?

So "what if" I am wrong about this "what if" stuff and the real question should be "how?"