Dearest SPEAK Peeps, Ive been wanting to write a post to all of you for the past seven weeks. Every time I sit down at the computer to type something out I either smile, cry or get really angry, usually its all three. My close friends know Im not typically an emotional person. Im generally like I am here on SPEAK: very matter-of-fact. All that being said, these past few weeks have been quite emotional for me. Im going to be honest with you all: Ive been a hot mess this past week. Maybe its because its all come to a head these past seven days; maybe its because this past year has been full of change in my personal life, maybe its because I keep second-guessing myself, thinking I could have done more. Its probably a combination of all three. This is going to be a long post, so feel free to skim or not read it at all. I have been blessed to meet real-life heroes and call them my friends. Cindy Barnard attended DAC and BOE meetings long before many of us started paying attention. Just think where we would be right now if she and Delana Maynes didnt have the conviction to stand up against the BOE for implementing vouchers. Taxpayers for Public Education has gone over and beyond serving the children of this community. Where would we be without the indisputable facts that the Strong Schools Coalition provides? Laura Mutton, Susan Meek, Mary Strain and Bob Kaser spent countless hours on researching the facts of our district, then taking it a step further to hand them out to thousands of people. Mary has also recorded the majority of meetings so people could watch from the comfort of their homes. Voices for Public Education brought out several speakers to Douglas County in efforts to inform our community about public education. Gary Colley has been trying to bring our community together for years with We Teach the Children. Kevin Leung has vocalized his findings while serving on the DAC and serves as the Admin. for Involved Douglas County Teachers and Citizens. Douglas County Parents has done a tremendous job of pulling together the community to volunteer to elect four new candidates to the BOE. Brian Malones documentary, The Reformers Movie, was a game changer. The documentary was brilliantly written and produced, and its helped to win over many community members for our cause. Jason Virdin spent countless hours talking to teachers who have left the district and posting their exit interviews on YouTube. Brian White has spoken up and represented the majority of teachers in Douglas County. His no-nonsense approach has been refreshing and empowering for the teachers and staff in DCSD. The protests began with one single man: Mr. Robert Herrell. Now weve had protests with hundreds of parents, teachers and community members voicing the need for change in our district. The Rally Moms came just when we needed them to re-energize us for the upcoming months before the election. To those of you who put in the time to plan the Rally for Public Education, thank you for keeping us energized, too! The House Parties have also been an important role to inform the community. I still remember the very first House Party that me, Wendy Vogel and Brian White did, and the looks on all their faces as they saw the facts of our district. Im sure Ive left several people out, and for that I apologize. We have all been a piece of this puzzle--no one greater than the other. Whether it was making a movie, attending a rally, or painting four candidates names on a windshield, it has all played a part in the outcome of tomorrows election. I think back to 2008/09 when I first became involved. There were only a handful of people who were commenting on social media and speaking at board meetings. I remember the first group of people I became involved with behind the scenes. I will refrain from mentioning their names without permission. ;) You guys know who you are. I still remember sending you private messages asking you to like SPEAK. I am thankful for all of you who have participated in this fight--but there are two who I am most thankful for. III. I still remember the day I approached you two and said, Im ready to start a revolution. Are you in? These two teachers were there with me from the beginning. They allowed me to vent. They helped monitor the page. They helped create the Google Doc SPEAK Form. They supported me more than theyll ever know. I started SPEAK for these two teachers. One of them single-handedly changed my sons life when he was in her classroom. The other one took the time out of her busy life to take him to lunch and explain why its not a good idea to send money to a stranger from the internet. These two have done much, much more for my children, as well as hundreds of children in the district. They spoke up for teachers when it counted--and they made sure their voices were heard. These two teachers are now in a surrounding district, and I couldnt be happier for them. They are finally being treated with respect as the amazing, professional, life-changing people that they are. It breaks my heart to think of all the amazing teachers weve lost due to the current BOE and upper-level administration. That being said, we still have plenty of amazing teachers in DCSD, and when we win tomorrows election, they will finally be treated with respect and they can go about their jobs--teaching, reaching, inspiring and loving our children. I remember Doug Benevento, a current BOE member and candidate for a second term, talking about history weighing upon Cindy B. at a board meeting because of the side she was on. After much thought and self-seeking, I know in my heart that I am on the right side of history. The way I look at it, no matter what the outcome of the election is tomorrow, we will win and they will lose. We win because we are fighting for whats right for the majority of Douglas County children, teachers and staff members. They will lose because its all about entitlement for most of them. Theyre about political interests, big business and treating our children like customers. No matter the outcome, we have to remember (myself included) that our efforts werent for nothing. We came together and people heard. People all over the country are watching us right now, and we will be victorious no matter what. Shame on you, Gerken (Mendoza is still too new), Benevento, Carson, Silverthorn, Larsen, Williams (you get extra for your rude, offensive mouth) and Richardson. You have turned my children into pawns and disrespected this community. You have put your political aspirations above the needs of our children. You have turned your backs on our teachers and staff, ignoring their negative feedback of your so-called reform agenda. Shame on you, Fagen, for being the highest paid superintendent in the state and caring more about your career than whats best for our public schools. Please feel free to blow through town again, much like you did in Tucson. Also, dont forget to take your many hired friends with you when you leave. I will look back at this moment as the year our community said, ENOUGH! This is the year we all came together and stood for public education. I have met so many people in this fight who I am blessed to call friends. I honestly would not have made it through this past year if it werent for you all. To all my friends, 3,573 to be exact: THANK YOU. Whether you liked, commented, posted, sent me private messages, or came up and hugged me in person, you made SPEAK what it is today. You helped to inform our community. You gave me hope when I felt down. You were patient with me when I went a day or two without posting the SPEAK Form. I consider you all my friends and my life has been changed for the better because of you. Tomorrow will be a life-changing, emotional day for us all. Tomorrow will be the day when our local super heroes, Barbara Chase, Julie Keim, Bill Hodges and Ronda Scholting are elected to represent our community on the Douglas County Board of Education. Tomorrow we will celebrate as a community. Tomorrow we will win our district back for our children and community. To the teachers and staff who have worked tireless hours and taken away time from their own family for our children, I say THANK YOU. For the principals who stood by their teachers and staff, and put our children first, I say THANK YOU. For those of you who waved signs, handed out flyers, painted your windshields, talked to friends, volunteered your time, posted/commented on SPEAK, or knocked on doors for our cause, I say THANK YOU. You are all heroes, and your efforts have not gone unnoticed. This song is for you: youtu.be/w-u4MbDhpH8 With love, admiration, gratitude and respect, Chérie Garcia-Lewis SPEAK Admin. & Parent PS: Thank you to the people in my personal life who put up with me constantly checking/updating SPEAK on my iPhone. Thank you for listening to my ranting about public education and elections for the past year. I promise youll get the more attentive, sane Chérie back on Thursday... since Ive scheduled an emotional breakdown for Wednesday. ;)
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 19:31:38 +0000
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