Another week, another stark reminder of what’s at stake in the quest to build institutions that allow all children to realize their potential — this time, in the streets of Baltimore.
It’s precisely because your grandma, Daisy, was pissed about redlining all those years ago that you understand school segregation and how deliberate and purposeful its effects and reemergence have been.
And it is absolutely because you know that, but for the right school, and the shining fingertip of providence, you are Freddie Gray. In a world of infinite timetables for school improvement that are rarely if ever reached, choice is the most powerful way to create new worlds of possible for kids who are destined to have so little possible for themselves.
And as we pray, we all take action, turning righteous indignation into positive change …
There are too many Baltimores, both in big cities and in our suburbias. Take the time now to do better by every Freddie and every child.
The starting point for change is to recognize that this is a much bigger issue than just education. While our schools have a vital role to play in the changes we seek, as advocates our solutions must reflect the enormity of the problem our children and their families face. White people have gradually become more conscious of the racist foundations of so many of our institutions, but we have continued to fall short of the fundamental reforms that would bring true justice to all people in our state.
How did families respond when Baltimore schools closed amid the unrest? How did educators help children make sense of what was happening in their city? What about the teachers?
Meanwhile…
It was a tumultuous week for school choice in state capitols and city halls around the country.
Connecticut: The Legislature may cut back charter school startup funding.
Delaware: The state Senate approved a charter school moratorium.
Florida: Legislation expanding a new parental choice program fell victim to a legislative standoff.
Indiana: A bid to remove oversight of the state voucher program from Glenda Ritz, the state schools superintendent, was abandoned.
New York: Success Academy charter schools’ quest for facilities divided allies of the mayor; another network was flooded with applications.
Quote of the week:
“… [L]et us not judge families’ political tenacity by two- or four-year election cycles alone. Daily acts matter, too, because learning is important to families.” – Former Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson, on the power of school choice.
Judge us by our daily acts of writing on this blog. Send pushback, feedback, tips and suggestions to tpillow[at]sufs[dot]org.
