Role models for kids

I am a white parent of white children who chooses to send her children to a Little Rock School District middle school south of I-630. I’ve taught middle school for over a decade here in Central Arkansas: private, public, charter. These jobs placed me in the unique position of knowing the ins and outs of the different systems. Choosing a school for my children was simple: public school. Why? Because my child is not better than anyone else’s, and no one’s child is better than mine. The choice of a tuition-based school implies the privilege of having money to spend on tuition. The choice of a public charter school implies the privilege of having reliable transportation to get there every day. Saying yes to a school with a gate encircling it means saying no to interacting with those outside it. I want my children to be raised with children from all walks of life. I want my children to know that they are not better than “other children.”

LRSD teachers are legally obligated to serve all students who live within the district. They cannot offer a withdrawal form to parents when they tire of disruptive students. They cannot refuse to follow a student’s 504 or IEP. They cannot skip mandatory state training, even when they know the absence will be used against them. They cannot refuse to teach a student based on race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, or citizenship. LRSD teachers welcome all students into their classrooms. They look at their students as more than their test scores. These are the types of role models I want my children to have.

As Johnny Key refuses to deal fairly with the teachers of LRSD, perhaps he should keep in mind a lesson from the Book of Romans: If one’s gift is teaching, then teach. If it is not, then encourage and support those who do. ALICE KUNCE North Little Rock