A steady exposure to demeaning speech, grumpy tweets and partisan rhetoric divorced from the needs of real people had soured my mood. I found relief and inspiration in recent visits to three of our county's elementary schools.
Dr. Clif CleavelandEarly one morning, eight young boys and girls sat excitedly on a bench in the office of one school. African-American, Caucasian and Hispanic - their enthusiasm was contagious. The school's principal began announcements over the public-address system. At the conclusion, she announced that the Pledge of Allegiance would be led that morning by members of a kindergarten class.
They clustered around the microphone held before them. "I pledge allegiance with liberty and justice for all." Their right hands over their hearts, they delivered the words flawlessly. All of the adults in the office stood and joined their recitation. At the conclusion of the performance, the children received a special sticker for their shirts before bouncing back to class. I could imagine no greater enthusiasm for a prom later in their academic careers.
A plaque at this school, obviously painted by hands new to writing, stated: "Think before you speak. Each letter of "Think" enumerated pertinent questions: "T, is it true? H, is it helpful? I, is it inspiring? N, is it necessary? K is it kind?" Imagine the effect in Congress and the White House if such principles were posted and honored.
A midmorning visit to another school involved a guided walk around a large playground featuring many broken or worn-out pieces of equipment. Some areas were roped off. The school district could offer only mulch and removal of old equipment.
Neighbors had dedicated time and materials in an effort to maintain the grounds both for students and for neighborhood children who played there during weekends and late afternoons. Volunteers had planted a garden and wildflowers to attract butterflies. The school and its Parent Teacher Association collaborated in efforts to raise funds to purchase new equipment and to consolidate the play area to better and more safely serve children seven days a week.
The third school boasted a community PTA that had devised a literacy project for the largely Hispanic neighborhood. Volunteers read to infants and their mothers as part of a "birth to pre-k" reading program. The school's library opened to the group one morning each week. A literacy festival each spring highlighted the pleasures of reading and raised money to enlarge the program. The PTA currently seeks funds through grants and community projects to support an art teacher who would work with all classes. Teachers had observed that new students who did not know English could begin to communicate more readily through art.
I briefly visited cafeterias at two of the schools to match them with my memories of long-ago school lunches. Next to recess, lunchtime was my favorite time of the day. Food selections were much better than what I remembered. Each table was abuzz with chatter among students who saw only similarities, not differences, in their classmates of different cultures and races.
The majority of students at each school qualified for free or reduced-fee breakfasts and lunches.
At each school, I encountered energetic teachers and staff who knew their students by name, who appeared to be responding to a calling and who had the energy to deal with supercharged children. If there were any incompetent teachers, they must have been locked away during my visits. I witnessed professionals who evinced a devotion to their work.
I have had the opportunity to visit a dozen schools in recent years. Each needs repairs, some desperately. Each would benefit from music, art and physical education. Some need books for depleted library shelves. Faculty merit better pay for their vital, demanding work. They need the resources to fire up the imagination of each child.
Each visit buoyed my spirits, while reminding me of our obligation as a society to assure a superior education for children who will be our replacements.
Contact Clif Cleaveland at ccleaveland@timesfreepress.com.