The first month of my tenure on the school board has been a literal trial by fire. In the days of yore, those accused of a crime would face a trial of crazy things. For example, the “court” could be a bed of coals on which the accused would walk. If his or her feet didn’t burn, then he or she was innocent. Severe burns, meant guilt. The worse the crime, the worse the trial. The idea was the Divine Intervention would prevent harm to the innocent, and if intervention didn’t occur, then the person was obviously guilty.
Therefore, my first month serving was a bit of that type of trial. The “court” in my case was the Ej Martinez issue and traversing the nature of the issue was not simple. As is usually the case, there were multiple logistic, financial, and human issues that fed into the ultimate decision. The bad news was that we took back our vote through which we committed to preserving the Ej Martinez school community as it was: pupils, teachers, and administrators. For decommitting, I apologize to the Ej community.
The good news is that we decided to create a single school that preserved student cohorts and combined the strength of the two combined communities. Although there is a ton of emotion surrounding the decision, I voted for what I saw as the best possible outcome of a very layered issue.
I had two school board meetings to get my bearings. The study session was the first real opportunity that I had to wrap my head around the multiple factors regarding the issue. I have no clue whether there was any Divine Intervention, but I know why I voted as I did. Also, I know that, going forward, I will arm myself with as much data as is humanly possible.
I learned, though, that Santa Fe is perhaps even more divided than what I knew before I took office. Not by colors (blue or red), but by simple economics. Those parents who know how to navigate the system, place their children in what they perceive as the “best” schools. This navigation seeks to remove any perceived weakness that exist within Santa Fe’s geographic distribution of wealth. (that is: unfortunately, midtown/southside schools are poorer than their northeast counterparts. Furthermore, if there are private/charter school options, more affluent families choose those schools over SFPS schools).
While what I’ve learned isn’t new information, the facts are that the very people who see the problem are often those who perpetuate its mechanisms. If we are to heal the economic divides, we have to, as a community, look at ourselves in a mirror and ask the reflection, do I want to solve the problem, or do I simply care about my own needs?
I don’t have all the answers, but as time presents data, I am certain that options will emerge. For example, I’ve already tired of the “declining enrollment” issue. I prefer to find ways to reverse the trend and INCREASE enrollment. I want SFPS schools to be the options that create the best community members. A start towards that goal is finding a way to build a kick-*** midtown elementary school…
My first school board trial by fire appears finished, but I know there are others coming. I am not unscathed. Yet, I remain hopeful that trials will be more about developing our community. Hopefully they aren’t those through which my legs melt off my body. Divine Intervention is more than welcome…
