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A couple of great letters to the editor in the Independent this week. First, from School Committee candidate Erin West Earle, "We must restore trust in our school district":
Yesterday at a five-year old’s birthday party, a mom new to town said to me with a concerned look, “I moved here for the schools.” I know that look — it’s the one I have when worrying about my children before they try something new or on days when I know things might be hard for them...
The news stories about survivors who have endured inappropriate behavior leave me heartbroken, but I am proud of students and alumni for speaking up. It’s important for people to come forward and advocate for change so that we can implement new policies and procedures to keep students safe. Transparency is key to regaining public trust in our school department.
But read the whole thing.
And Town Committee member Kahlia Shmerer weighed in on what many see as harmless antics, when Town Councilor Mary Brimer made some absurd claims about school bathrooms, "Unfounded claims can cause harm to children":
... [T]here are adults all over town making jokes and claims about these unnamed kids, setting an example for other kids to harass and bully their classmates who might dress a little differently, act a little differently. Can you imagine if it was your kid whose identity became the subject of a town-wide joke, and how they might feel if they saw the hundreds of comments making fun of them, and turning this into something it’s not?
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How this situation has unfolded is indicative of why the NKTC, and other government bodies, should be considering diversity and inclusion when making decisions that affect towns and communities. Discrimination and misinformation about diversity affect NK in a very real way. We are watching it happen now. Bigotry and lies are consuming this community and putting people in harm’s way, and it should be a priority for our elected officials to address it. And it should be a priority to hold accountable those elected officials who partake in the lies. We can and need to do better.
Again, worth reading the whole thing.