This letter is specifically to the parents who feel they do not have a voice in their kids’ education.  You do have a voice, through your local school board representative.  Do you get to know who the candidates are and what their views on public education are? Do you vote for your school board representative? Have you called your school board representative to voice any thoughts or concerns, or do you just react to rumors?

Our public schools are the backbone of our community. This is a place where young parents and families can get to know each other, working side by side in such activities as the PTA, supporting extracurricular activities (sports, drama, Robotics Club, and others) and exploring other activities in the wider community: Outing Club, churches, outdoor recreational activities galore. While parents certainly have a right to have their children attend schools outside of the community for whatever reason, it should not be at the expense of our public schools. We must maintain and nourish our public schools, recognizing that without them our communities will wither.

We must be vigilant and be sure the people who are elected locally or appointed and paid to oversee our public school system are working to support those schools, not to dismantle them, like Commissioner Edelblut and some local representatives. We need to pay attention to what is happening and participate by attending meetings, talking to our elected officials, voting, and making sure they are representing us and our children’s interests.