This is not a political post. So before you read any further, take those political lenses off, open up your minds and just hear me out. I am simply advocating for ONE group…the CHILDREN. This is not for the union, for schools sytems, for conservatives, or for wealthy charter school founders, but this post is for the CHILDREN.
I value public schools, because I have seen firsthand the way that they serve America’s children. For many they are a child’s only hope. They are the neighborhood haven. They hold the dedicated teachers who work tirelessly to educate sometimes over 30 kids in one classroom. My husband is a product of Detroit public schools and he is an example of the many who have gone on to lead successful and healthy lives. I taught for public schools for many years in my early days in education and it was a job a loved deeply. I was intensly aware of how important the existance of the school was to the communities that we served. Most of my years in public schools was in a school where most of the children were on free and reduced lunch.
As I am writing this, I am remembering Shane who was just 10 years old but had to be responsible for his younger siblings. His mother had him when she was 12 and was still not as present as she should be, so he had to get everyone up and get them to the school bus on time at just 10 years old. On this particular day he was an angry 5th grader who refused to do anything I asked him. Instead of yelling at him, I told him to stay with me while the kids went to art class. He walked with me to help make copies with a scowl on his face. I leaned down and said, “Shane what’s wrong?” He fell into my arms and cried so hard. I could not get him to stop. Buggars were all over my dress (ew disgusting!), but I didn’t stop him. I held him for as long as he needed to cry. He was overwhelmed. His burden was too heavy for a 10 year old child to carry. That mom would NOT fill out the papers to put them in a charter school, neither would she try to find private schools that would take him and his 4 siblings on scholarship. That school was his only hope and I had the honor to be there for him in that moment and the many years I stayed there. We need public schools. Not just for those who want to support their local systems, but for the millions of children without families to advocate for their educational and life journey. To berate public schools or to try to diminish their importance, is to hurt children like Shane who need every single neighborhood school in America. Instead of complaining about the system, we need to be thinking of ways to make these schools even better for ALL children. However, sometimes the need for altneratives is so grave, there is no time to wait for a school to fix the concerns before irreparable damage is done to children. It is not the responsibility of America’s children to show loyalty to a school system, when that system is not being loyal to them. Their only job is to be healthy, play, learn and find their purpose in life. If a school is not helping them do that, then there should be choices that all of us should be willing to contribute to, because the children are the ones who will carry on the legacies of our society. Their success is our success, so we should want to invest in that process.
This morning, I spent my time talking with a family about educational choices. For a while the children were homeschooled and then they decided to put them back in school for more socialization. She put them in the local public school. 2 of the 4 children have adjusted well and are happy. The other 2 have had some serious challenges that have affected them so bad that she had to use therapy. These challenges have involved very unsafe altercations that have almost sucked the life out of both children. So, to support the union or the school system or America, is this family supposed to keep making their children stay there, even though they come home each day totally distraught by their educational experience OR should the family use their freedom to find the best environment for their children?
We talked through all types of options and finally settled on a little Catholic school that she had visited some years ago. When she mentioned it, I encouraged her to explore the possibility because my experience with Catholic schools has been very positive. She was worried about not having the money for tuition, since they had not budgeted for this decision and I encouraged her again that often times Catholic schools have scholarships available and often really want students of color to attend. She quickly got off the phone and then called me back in minutes crying tears of joy. The school would accept her kids and find a scholarship for them. This mom had endured tremendous heartache over watching her 2 kids sink at the local public school. It was not working. Just like I have had families that my school did not work for, sometimes a school and a child are not a good match and that’s ok. There are choices, but oh how I wish there were more choices! Children are so different. There is no way public schools could meet the needs of every single student.
The fight against helping families pay for the tuition of private schools is something so baffling to me. Yes, it is true that some families have an elitist mentality when it comes to schooling, but that is not every family. In fact, most Black parents in challenged school districts are begging for help to place their children in schools that are healthier for their children. Doing this does not take away from the work of public schools, but it can be seen as all of us sharing the load of caring for the next generation. I do believe that it takes a village to raise a child and contributing to educational choices, is part of our responsibility as citizens of the village of America.
I wish there was a way all of the schools could coexist, without one thinking they were in competition with the other. We are all here supporting one another to educate our children so that our world becomes a better place. If every child could be educated in a way that meets their unique needs, then the world would probably be a much safer place. Most adults who grow up to hurt the world, have pain rooted in their school experience. For those who feel that charters and vouchers are taking money from public schools, I think this involves a totally new mindset. If children could be educated based upon their educational, emotional and even spiritual (if faith is integral to their life) framework, then children can grow up in environments that support the context they are born into. This is not a competition. Children come from all types of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and often times public schools cannot meet those needs. In fact, maybe this is one reason public schools struggle, is because they are being stretched so thin trying to meet every child’s needs. There comes a time when we need to outsource. Outsourcing to charter or private schools is keeping the children at the center of the work of education. Often times the fight between supporting public schools or supporting charters and vouchers feels like we are placing the biases of the adults at the center, when actually all of this is about what is best for the children. Instead of fighting, maybe we should think of this process as our country investing in the lives of ALL children so that the legacy of America continues.
When I talked with the family this morning, all she kept saying was, “I have no hope. I have to just pray over my kids because I have no money to find another option for them. I sent them to school literally afraid.” For a minute I was silent. My heart ached, because I also could not think of any other ideas. Our area doesn’t offer vouchers. The closest charter is about an hour away. Then she mentioned the Catholic school she’d visit a while ago and because of the work I do in Catholic Classical Education Renewal, I immediately encouraged her to explore that option. Within the hour she was welcomed into the school and she cried tears of joy on the phone. I had to encourage her that for the sake of our children, we must never give up hope. We must never think we have to settle for poor education experiences. If we think hard and long enough, there is a choice out there. The only thing is, I wish choices were more accessible. Is there enough time to wait for a school to become what it should be to meet the needs of struggling students or is a parent supposed to prove their loyalty to the teacher union or education system by sacrificing the well-being of their child? The only thing a parent should be required to do is find the best school that provids a safe, healthy and positive learning environment for their child. That is their only job.
My hope is that all of us citizens will come to a place of realizing that part of our job as citizens is to help make the world better for our children and that may involve our taxes going to provide the education needed for every child to thrive, whether their parents sends them to a public, private or charter school. Whatever that choice is, should not create feelings of anger or betrayal, because these choices are not about us, but these choices are about a parent trying to love their child, the best way they know how.
Dr. Anika T. Prather 