Molly McCann, Sartell
I think that while we may disagree on a lot of things, all of my fellow school board candidates can agree on this: That. Was. Brutal.
Running for our local school board felt as if I were vying for a seat in congress, replete with smear attacks, shady internet trolls and downright cruelty.
Let’s work together as a community to bring light and not more anger and conflict. I know the election did not bring the results that more than 60 percent of you had hoped for and I understand that grief, but it’s not the time to throw in the towel and it’s not the time to let frustration and anger rule.
I don’t know our new representatives well, but I want to believe they care about our kids. I call on them to listen to all in our community, not just those who funded them or belong to the same political party. And I call on the rest of our community to make their voices heard in a respectful and kind manner. Let’s work on seeing one another as individuals and not as “Red or Blue.” It’s easy to put someone in a box. It’s much harder to extend the olive branch and see that person as an individual.
Lastly, parents, let’s put ourselves back into the equation. I encourage you to volunteer in some capacity with your children in schools. I met a mother in first grade last week who uses her lunch break twice a month to come and help kids read in her son’s class. Get involved with the Parent Teacher Organization or with planning committees in the upper grades. Volunteer to help with recess, substitute teaching, as a substitute para-professional, or work the book fairs. If nothing else, send in extra snacks, tissues or wipes.
Trust me, the teachers always need those!
We may feel fractured, but I encourage all of our residents to see the kids in our schools as our collective responsibility. Good schools produce good human beings. Let’s drop the rhetoric and focus on what is truly important – ALL of our kids.
