I only became interested in our schools back in the fall after learning of incidents of bullying and racist harassment. To try and find out more about the problems and the people involved I’ve attended nearly every public meeting and program that I thought might get me closer to understanding the overall situation. Along the way I have asked myself: how can we back up our good, hard working educators, address any misbehavior amongst their ranks, identify any other critical shortcomings in the schools, and empower our students?
Since last fall there have been a number of responses to our problems in the school and I like some of the things that I’ve seen so far. It should go without saying, everyone involved is human. That means far less than perfect and producing less than perfect results. The ongoing FIRE storytelling program, the anti-bullying initiatives in the school, the rallies sponsored by Arrowhead Indivisible, the victims and witnesses that so courageously stepped forward, the many different meetings, these are all things that our friends, neighbors, and school personnel have organized for the kids and our community.
I also like the looks of the upcoming Social Justice Conference. We need ways to explore our differences. We need to constantly insist on standards of fair behavior and decency in our schools and in our communities. We can enhance our humanity and bring honor upon ourselves by protecting the most vulnerable among us. If any of these programs, meetings, or actions gets us closer to some of that, I’m all for it.
Greg Gailen
Grand Marais
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