Kids’ fate rests unfairly on schools, Good says

On Sunday and Monday, the Columbus City Schools lost two of their own in separate fatal shootings: 28-year-old bus driver Dominic Williams and 16-year-old Quentin Smith, a 10th-grader at West High School.

Superintendent Dan Good kicked off his report at Tuesday’s Columbus Board of Education meeting by mentioning their homicides. But with three weeks left running the school district before he retires, he spoke forcefully about how schools are unfairly saddled with total responsibility for any issue involving children and how community partners make promises to help kids but don’t follow through.

Good pointed to brain research that shows children who grow up in traumatic situations, unsafe communities and families in turmoil, are fundamentally changed.

“High doses of adversity in children not only affect brain structure and function, it affects their developing immune system, their developing hormonal systems and even the way DNA is read,” he said.

So those hours away from school make a huge difference, Good said.

“Even last night, as the Columbus City Council paused a moment to present a resolution for my service as superintendent, the focus was still on the notion that the fate of the city’s children is the schools’ responsibility,” Good said. “And I reminded them, we as a community need to come to the realization that the best way to help these children is to help their families.”

Board member W. Shawna Gibbs said she shares his frustration. “We sell lunch, we sell school supplies, we sell tons of things in schools. We do not sell weapons.”

Good said that families have asked for structured activities after school and on weekends. He said the district has made agreements with civic groups and nonprofit organizations to provide activities and other support, but some partners have failed to fulfill their commitments. He didn’t name names.

“Indicating that you’re going to be there for the full year to provide mentorship to our students ... and you only show up on the first day of school when the cameras are present to help clap the students in and we don’t see you again the rest of those nine months, that’s not OK,” Good said.

Good said developers who court the city and school board for tax breaks could be doing more to lift up families in lowincome neighborhoods.

“I think the board is in an enviable position to really leverage and say, ‘OK, are you truly going to invest in our neighborhoods or are you going to take advantage of the tax abatements to create jobs for individuals who don’t live in our school system?’” Good said.