To the voters of Columbus, congratulations. Tuesday, they accomplished their goal: to punish the Columbus City Schools for its past misdeeds. They sent a clear message, but I don’t think they punished those deserving of punishment.
I am a teacher in the district, and my colleagues are the most dedicated people I have ever had the pleasure to know: Teachers who come to work early, stay late and work hours and hours at home each night and weekend, sacrificing time with their own families. Teachers whose own worth is judged by test scores, competing with districts with whom the playing field is not even remotely level. Teachers who think about their students and dream of what they might become, if only they are given the chance. The voters have punished these people — people who are giving every ounce of their energy to the children of Columbus.
The parents in the Columbus City school district want the best for their children. Many work two jobs to provide for their families, yet still take time to attend parent-teacher conferences and help with homework. They have hopes and dreams for their children, and want them to have every opportunity to succeed. The voters have punished these people — people whose children mean more to them than anything in the world.
The students in my classroom, and in every classroom in the district, are our future. That’s a cliché, but it’s quite literally the truth. They come to school each day for the chance at a better life. They come into crumbling buildings with leaking roofs. They come into classrooms with limited technological resources to prepare them for the digital age. They come without the benefit of quality pre-K, putting them at a disadvantage from the beginning. But still they come, and work hard, and hope that somehow things will improve. The voters punished these children, our students, who deserve better.
We have been talking about the election in social-studies lessons, and our students participated in Kids Voting in the days leading up to Election Day. Our social-studies curriculum focuses on community: what a community is, who belongs to a community and the rights and responsibilities of community members. One of my 8-year-old students came in to our classroom on Wednesday morning and asked, “Why does the community not like us?”
Congratulations. The message has been received, loud and clear.
STEPHANIE A. MILLS