Who is Not Participating?

I am often guilty of distracted listening...Especially at meetings. I hear and focus on the speaker, but there are always so many other thoughts and ideas racing around in my mind. I can only describe this distraction as analogous to the "picture within a picture" feature on many television sets. Kind of a mental multi-tasking.

Today's meeting in the Peter B Lewis building at Case University was no different for me. Ed Morrison and Jack Ricchiuto were reviewing the agenda for a group of discussion moderators involved in REI's "Making Change" symposium scheduled for November 15th at the Ritz Carlton in Cleveland. The conference will discuss various issues affecting the revitalization of the economy in North East Ohio.
Jack had been reading aloud from a page of questions that we would be asking break-out group participants next Monday.

"Who is not participating in these (economic development) conversations, and why?"

Suddenly all of the screens in my mentalvision were flashing that same question.

Cleveland Municipal Schools are NOT participating in these discussions about Regional Economic Impact.
The question is: Why?

The public schools are recognized as THE key component to workforce development (or lack thereof) We are more than 6,000 employees serving more than 70,000 children in this country's most impoverished city. Yet I am the only Cleveland teacher I have ever seen at REI.
Again: Why?

The answer to this question should be enlightening.