As a former teacher, I love being behind a school bus when I'm not rushed. I enjoy watching the children get off the bus and reading their body language and faces. Yesterday, in a poor neighborhood, I watched a little girl in a puffy pink coat get off the bus and quickly walk with glee towards her evidently run down home. Her hands were filled with school projects, and it was clear that she had a wonderful day at school and was returning to a loving home.
As this little dark skinned and dark haired girl happily returned home, I thought of my Nana who was similarly a little girl living in poverty and attending the local public school. My grandmother clearly didn't have the advantages of many of her classmates, but she did have the opportunity to go to a public school where she was introduced to all kinds of ideas and skills. Later, even though she had to leave school in eighth grade to support her family, Nana used her education to get a good job and rise at that job to a respectful level. Later she married and had a beautiful family. She made sure that her daughters all went to college at a time when many women did not go to college.
In part, Nana, like the little girl I watched, was empowered by a public school education, an education which empowered her life in many positive ways.
Today too many errant, self-serving, bigoted politicians want to strip public schools of the support they need to flourish in society. To do this is to deny so many wonderful little children from all walks of life the opportunity to learn and live good lives. We have to support our public schools in every way that we can because strong public schools create strong, positive communities, the kind of communities that lead to happy, collaborative, positive living for all. We can do this.