Happy 60th!

While working at the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, DC, once a year the entire staff had a day of volunteering. We were divided into teams and sent to various projects around the District. One year, my team and I were sent to a local, public elementary school. I do not recall the name, yet, it was the stereotypical, inner-city, Washington, DC school found in a lower-economic, crime burdened neighborhood that persons with money avoid and send their kids to private schools.

The first thing I remember as we walked to the school were the bullet holes on one of the doors that lead into the building.

As we entered the school and headed to the classroom to talk and spend the day with a classroom of fourth graders, I noticed the only signs on the hall walls were ones made from construction paper by students for their school elections campaign work. My favorite, by far, was Alisha whose sign was, “VOTE FOR ALISHA FOR CLASS SECRETARY! I CAN WRITE IN CURSIVE!” I wanted to be her campaign manager.

As we talked and interacted with the students several told us that the previous week they could not go on the playground because “someone got shot and died there and the cops had to come look into it.”

Others shared, “Most weeks we probably get to go out on the playground a couple days a week cause of the crack vials and the needles. Teachers don’t want us out there.”

These fourth-graders shared this matter-of-factly as one would tell about last night’s little league game.

This is an elementary school in 21st Century America.

May 17, 2014 is the 60th Anniversary of the historic “Brown .vs. Board of Education” Supreme Court Ruling which said public schools must be integrated. Of course, with most Supreme Court decisions there’s the ruling and then the implementation of the ruling. In other words, we’re still working on this one.

A free, public education is foundational to democracy.

Every child should go to a school in a safe neighborhood, with clean playgrounds, the most modern technology and the very best teachers. Every child.

Good for the kid who goes to a school with posters promoting summer education trips to Florida; great for the kid who can take Japanese as a language option. Should we not, however, make sure every kid has small classroom size, current textbooks, and computers?

I spent five years working as a regional and statewide organizer for the “Good Schools PA Campaign” which anchored our work in the belief that every child should have access to quality, well-resourced education and that one’s zip code should not determine the quality of one’s education.

You and I both know that zip codes still are indicators of the quality of education a child will receive. Schools are becoming re-segregated around lines, yes, of race and also of income...sadly, those things seem easily interchangeable.

One of my most favorite quotes is by Simone Weil who said, “Love’s first step is attention.” If this post grabbed yours, then I’ll be curious to see where love leads you.

sj;