WHY ONE MOTHER MAY VOTE “NO”

Writing on Mother’s Day, I wanted to acknowledge what’s wonderful in our schools. But I had a fiendishly hard time maintaining that focus. Yes, many teachers inspire many students, and many kids are creating brilliant essays and amazing projects.  Superintendent Shaps has the special privilege of seeing the best of it on a weekly basis.  During the final moments of the May 5 school board meeting, he shared recent experiences with board members. He was clearly thrilled, proud, and even somewhat humbled by the level of work he had seen.

But as he spoke, my two seniors’ 13 years of Hastings education flooded over me. What my children (one dyslexic, one ADD) took away from school was that they were stupid. When not snubbed ever so subtly, they were often laughed at by their peers.