A thread about what’s going on in #louisville right now. I’m going to touch on the “failing school” narrative, structural racism, and reform for our city. I am a dad, a tax payer, and a principal for @JCPSKY

#louisvilleprotests #wearejcps

For my students that read this, think about the points I have here, reflect on them, and balance them with your breasts experiences. You will be in a position soon to do something about it.

#aisuccess #iroquoisbelieves

I am a principal of a predominately black school. We are among the highest free and reduced lunch count in our state. Our students have many barriers and roadblocks in front of them. I work with good people who actively work to remove them #iroquoisbelieves

My school is falling apart. We have a ballot initiative #Yes4jcps that seeks to correct some of our building deficiencies. As a taxpayer, employee, and parent of a JCPS student I will be voting yes. No student should have to go to a school falling apart. @yes4jcps

We often get told we are a “failing school” because of our test scores. The way we sort and rank schools, someone always has to be at the bottom and top. My students do not start with the privilege many other do, nor are they selected to go to our school; we teach anyone.

daily in my school and others like it, what inequity looks like. I have done this job long enough to be able to confidently say: we can do better, and not for lack of trying. Our teachers try, very hard, and some of the best I’ve known come from these “failing schools”.

When I say “best” I mean pedagogically solid, coupled with deeply caring. Look to folks like Prof Fields, Mr Petrie, Chef Rhodes, Mr Kaufmann- as a start. These folks are the norm of many of “failing schools”

The narrative of the “failing school” only perpetuates the idea of the have/ have nots. By the accountability metric, we have a lot of work to do, sure, but take a moment to think about where we start versus where we end with a student, and the myriad of hurdles we overcome.

There is no good metric for that, but I would contend we do growth well.

Heck, I think if we were measured on growth of students - we’d be in a better spot. But that is a different thread.

#aisuccess

As part of the “failing school” narrative we are audited every couple of years by folks who have little context for our schools. They come in for a few days, audit, and often remove principals or more drastically staff.

Often these principals have had a year or two to “turnaround” the school. It’s not enough.

It’s scapegoating.

I’m not against accountability- but at least give a school a fair shot.

I have watched amazing educators be pillaged in these audits. I’ve had four in my career and lucky for me I’ve made it through. Many have not- and they were often not given near the time to “fix” what they are called to, and suffer from lack of resources.

#equity

That is not to say #JCPS doesn’t resource us as best they can. Dr Pollio has worked in a school such as this. He gets it. But, when the resource bag is already light, there is only so much to go around.

Some folks crow about 1 billion dollar budgets. They don’t understand school funding or needs, and it shows.

We have 100,000 kids. They have a lot of needs. What do you think is an appropriate figure to educate them?

Fact of the matter is we need more, and I’m not ashamed to say it. For the mission we are tasked with, and what our kids in Louisville deserve, I urge you to support #Yes4JCPS I am not sorry that upsets some rich people in Anchorage. They stand on the wrong side of our city.

Our city. I’ve lived here 40 years and I’m not leaving. I grieve for our city. Folks are hurting, and this hurt is legitimate, and the impetus for change is critical.

Our city is firmly rooted in systemic and structural racism. At this point you either see that, or you choose to be blissfully ignorant. #BreonnaTaylor

Let me be clear- I stand firmly on the side of the protests now, and when they started. Do not interpret that as me condoning violence or destruction; no, realize it’s not an either/ or position and that the predominance of the #LouisvilleProtest have been peaceful.

I’m not interested in your either/ or rhetoric. I’ve been in the protests and I’ve seen it firsthand. They are not riots.

Miss me with that. #louisvilleprotests

To double down: #BLM They do. We have had actions for years, and more as of late that challenge that notion. Black. Lives. Matter.

Don’t interpret that as anti LMPD. I expect reform, but certainly have known good police.

However, right now- there is extensive work.

We commit to racial equity as a core part of our work at our school, and in @Jcpsky This should not be performative, nor should it be lip service to the needs of our students. This is the *core* of our work. @JCPSDEP1

We have to dismantle the barriers placed in front of our students because “we” in this sense, have the means to do so. “We” are called to do this work because it is right, just, and because we have often sat idly by and benefited from this systems. #equity

I do not pretend to have all the answers, nor do I think it is my place to prefer them; instead I believe as I practice- we must have large tables of diverse stakeholders earnestly listening and working to solve the issues before us.

Rather than offer pat solutions and platitudes I’ll offer some concrete ways we can as a community move forward.

1- Listen. Listen to the voices of those doing this work, their needs and beliefs. In practice this means a lot of people at the table, which can be hard, but the outcome is worth it in terms of building community.

2- Analyze. Analyze policies at all levels and facets, to see how they interact with all groups of folks in our community. If policy further alienates or marginalizes, it is bad policy and needs to be reworked.

3- Advocate. I don’t have much power and my role in the great scheme of things is small. But, anyone with any positional power must continue to advocate for change and commit to bettering our community. Students need to see this and know we do this. They

4- Reform. We need real police reform and leadership. If that is not apparent, then we have given up on any sense of normalcy and a desire for freedom. It is not possible at this point not to see the abuses of power in our city. We can and must do better.

5- Resource. This ties back to @yes4jcps our schools need this. I can’t understand how any who has seen a school building in our city can’t see this. If you fall on the opposite side of that, I believe you are simply wrong.

Some points to ponder for this Sunday morning.

I believe that the problems are solvable. I’m tired of seeing inequity, have been for most of my life.

I don’t want to pass this fight onto my children- lord I’d like to leave them something better.