To the Editor,
We have an election coming up on May 16th to elect Mattapoisett residents to important town positions. (Rochester and Marion also have elections coming up) Unfortunately, not many people vote in the municipal elections and so I say to everyone, mark your calendars! Vote on May 16th!
In part, because I have two grandchildren, I care very much about what is happening in the schools and in the world. I am very concerned about what kind of world my grandchildren are growing up in. I am concerned about all kids regardless of where they live or go to school as they are our leaders of tomorrow.
Before retiring, I was in the field of human services for over 40 years working with people who have significant disabilities. Without their basic needs being addressed and doors opened, we often see an increase in joblessness, homelessness, dependency on the system, and often involvement with the criminal justice system.
Because of the discrimination of race, ethnicity, age, disability, and sex, doors are closed, and many people are left to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. But as MLK said, It is a “cruel jest to ask a bootless man to pick up his bootstraps when he has none.”
We have made a lot of progress in this country over the past 45-50 years yet Blacks represent 13.2%of the population and 24% of the poverty population. Why? Somehow it is become fashionable to turn back the clock. Keep progress from moving ahead. I don’t understand it, and I think it is very wrong.
The schools have a particular responsibility to keep us moving forward towards a more inclusive society. Schools should provide a curriculum that provides an opportunity for us to learn about our differences and respects those differences, and teaches and practices civic responsibility.
I applaud the school committee on its anti-racism resolution, which was passed unanimously without one dissenting vote. The following resolution is particularly important:
RESOLVED: Marion, Mattapoisett, Old Rochester Regional and Rochester School Districts must guarantee that racist practices are eradicated, and that diversity, equity, and inclusion is embedded and practiced for our students, families, faculty and staff.
I understand that there is a process for investigating bullying, using hurtful language, assaults etc. We have to have numbers on a monthly basis to help us evaluate how what we are doing each month and to compare previous months.
We need to make sure that the process we laid out for investigating incidents are being followed, and we have to make sure that the victim and their family are satisfied, or understand the results. We need to know how many complaints got resolved, and how many remain open.
I know that the schools are putting a system into place, but these numbers should be able to be provided on a monthly basis now. There are not that many incidents but each one (and one is too many) tells us a different story. Without this data, we are left to hear anecdotal information that often leads one to make wrong assumptions
What is the plan to eradicate racism in our schools and how are we evaluating the program? I was impressed with the DESE curriculum on Justice. The numbers will not be meaningful until everyone knows that the schools are serious about eradicating racism and all other forms of discrimination through a solid curriculum that is reinforced. Let’s make the school community a microcosm or reflection of the world we all want to live in.
Thank you
Nicky Osborne, Mattapoisett
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