One Month In

So much has happened over the last month. A bunch of you have known for a while that I was running for school board, but I was holding off the wider announcement until after Georgia's general assembly ended (early April). Watching the president move forward a plan to dismantle the Department of Education changed all that, and made me want to hit the ground running on this campaign. 

As much as some people would like to disparage the work of the USDOE, it is the last line of defense for many students who only gained rights in the schoolhouse after decades-long legal fights--students with disabilities didn't gain full rights to a public education until 1975, English language learners didn't until 1981! School boards are more important than ever now to ensure the promise of a truly universal public education system.

But much closer to home, I've spent the last month trying to gather neighbors together to discuss what we could do to make sure our local schools stay open. If you are unaware: the school board is posturing to close dozens of schools in the next few years out of budget concerns. Now I'm no stranger to budget constraints--I've spent the last decade plus studying education finance and advocating for fair, balanced budgets at the state level. But I am not convinced that closing schools saves as much as people presume (APS hasn't even unloaded the Peeples Street Elementary land yet, and that school was closed in 1982!). As I wrote on my website, evidence on school closings shows that the conversation is much more difficult than just shuttering a building. Salaries and benefits are where the vast majority of the school district's budget goes. 

On Wednesday night we had more than 40 folks show up at Portrait Coffee and start to gameplan how to put pressure on the school board to make sure that these decisions aren't penny-wise and pound-foolish. I was able to hear what these schools mean to folks, and the history of harm disproportionately falling on the people of southwest Atlanta. We talked about how our schools need an affirmative vision for the future beyond just "don't close the doors." I left thankful for the neighborhood that we have been a part of for the last 10 years.

On the financial front: this campaign has already raised over $3,000! That is an incredible start and I cannot thank you enough for those of you who have donated. It feels bizarre to ask folks for money for ANYTHING, but the fact that you all see something worth contributing to here is honestly such a complement. 

Thanks for following along. I can't wait to tell y'all about some of the people I've met in this journey, but for now I think this email is long enough.

Best,

Stephen