Last night’s special school board meeting packed the house at East High School. Teachers, staff, students and families flooded the school’s auditorium, balcony, and swamped the back of the space with a shoulder-to-shoulder standing crowd.
Over one-hundred speakers took a turn at the microphone to make a plea for their respective schools. Some speeches were typed, some were impromptu, many were interrupted with the rumbling thunder of applause.
Here are 5 comments that will stick with you:
1) “When I’m outside, people see a girl in a wheelchair. When I’m inside Independence, people see me.”
From a student at Independence High School, a school uniquely equipped to serve students with disabilities.
2) “If you don’t have a plan, at least PRETEND like you have a plan.”
From a teacher at Brookhaven, lamenting the absence of an identifiable strategy when it comes to closing big schools on the North side.
3) “You say you’re basing this on data. Are you SURE you’re not still manipulating that data?”
From a student from Monroe Middle School
4) “Cut the cream, cut the administration. Don’t cut out the heart.”
From a fiery Eclipse teacher at Siebert
5) “Why is this board saying to these communities in this room, ‘We don’t have the money to keep your school open,’ and then saying to others, ‘Here’s 40M or 15M to build you a brand new school’ ? “
From a Fifth Avenue parent.
There were poignant moments too. There was a speaker who identified himself as the secretary at Maybury. He pointed out that school is often one of the few stable places for children. Closing schools like Maybury undermines any sense of stability for these children.
And there was a Siebert alum who shared that the school gave her a family when a faculty member adopted her. Another teacher stood with a Brookhaven student who will face a forty minute walk to a COTA bus stop, and an hour-long bus ride to a proposed new school.
The board is scheduled to vote on the closings this Tuesday.
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Photo by Walker Evans.