In defense of teachers, Merriam mom heads to Topeka - on foot

[proud2BlibKansan]

Kansas mom is walking 65 miles to Topeka to protest attacks on public schools and teachers.

As legislators continue their attacks on teachers and public schools, one mom has had enough. Heather Ousley of Merriam, Kansas, decided to take her fight to Topeka - on foot. Ousley shared the following open letter yesterday to announce her trek:

To my fellow Kansans.

Those of you who know me personally, who have had a beer with me, a beer with Jarrod, who have been with us for the last 20 years, or maybe just the last couple of months, know that when something is important to me, I support it.

So it should come as no surprise, that now that I feel that the future that I thought was possible for my kids is threatened, I’m a little up in arms. Since this legislative session began, there has been an unprecedented number of bills and attempts to dismantle and defund the system that provides public education in the state of Kansas.

And let there be no doubt – that system has been functioning at a remarkable level, despite a lack of funding, for many years. There has been a coordinated attempt to justify this defunding, from outside business interests, who lobby through the Kansas Policy Institute (KPI) and the American Legislation Exchange Council (ALEC), to discredit our schools and what they are capable of, to justify their attempts to undermine their sources of revenue.

Because of this effort, our government is considering amending our Kansas Constitution to get out of its funding obligations. Obligations that have been upheld in court decisions.

I will not sit idle, while large business interests try to destroy the mechanism that can provide my children, and the children of their generation, whom I care about as a mother, and friend, troop leader, and school volunteer.

I will not sit idle, while they attack the teachers that educated me. That educated my husband and brother. That are now educating my children.

I will not sit idle while they cut funding to the vital backbone of our state. Not as a parent. Not as a Jayhawk.

more . . . http://www.examiner.com/article/in-defense-of-teachers-merriam-mom-heads-to-topeka-on-foot

[iemitsu]

1. Thanks for the post.

This is just the sort of news that provides a teacher with the boost of energy needed to get through a stack of research papers.
All of us workers need to remember to defend other workers when they are attacked, because those being attacked have enough on their hands dealing with the attacks. Defending one's self and one's profession while being attacked, and vilified is difficult to do. One's credibility is already in question and the defense often sounds contrived and weak (even when it is truthful and solid evidence of one's value).
Defense or testimony from outsiders is always strong. Having the parent of a public school student and someone who is herself a former public school student walk 60 + miles to bring attention to the unfair and continual scapegoating of teachers and public schools is fabulous. Her action will get the attention of many. She will be on the local news. Much needed public conversations, about who is to blame for our problems and how we should go about addressing them, will result from this woman's walk.
She absolutely deserves our support and encouragement.

[Doremus]

2. K&R + Brava!