To Our
Members
You told us that you’re deeply concerned and exhausted by the hyper-partisanship and polarization in our country. And you noted that our elected officials need to learn to disagree in a way that allows for governing — where we find solutions and solve problems instead of endless bickering.
Most notably, one civics and debate teacher told me: “The way some of our elected officials are behaving wouldn’t earn them a passing grade. In fact, I would never permit this behavior in my class!”
In these times, when civility has largely been drained from the public discourse, our members are calling on our elected officials to model the behavior our members teach.
So, we painted our message on a bus, we hauled it on highways across the state, and we parked it in lots from Albany to Rochester to Carmel to Hauppauge.
In the lead up to Election Day, hundreds of you have hopped on board to share your concerns with elected officials and candidates about school funding, students’ mental health, staffing shortages and classroom safety. You’ve explained how our schools are doing more than ever and need support from all levels of government to serve the increasing needs of our students and their families.
You’ve also told stories about the great things already happening in New York public schools — the thrill of seeing concepts click when students’ unique learning styles are recognized, the joy of connecting English language learners and their families to new communities, and the energy building around groundbreaking Career and Technical Education programs.
In short, you’ve made the case for choosing Common Ground Over Chaos, showing how schools and educators can be models for moving our state and country forward, because we’re embracing civility and collaboration every day. You’ve done it with eloquence and respect, just as we teach our students to communicate in our classrooms and just as we are calling on elected officials to behave in office.
Like all good road trips, this bus tour is about the journey. I can tell you that this is the kind of journey that effects change.
Thank you for inspiring me every stop along the way.
@MelindaJPerson
MelindaJPerson