Everyone Gets a Carnation

One of the commitments that I've made as an educator is to equity, especially when it comes to public education. Our former Secretary of Education, Rebecca Holcombe, reminded us often that "equity is not a zero-sum game," that is, there are no winners and losers when we work to make equity a reality for our students. Another way to consider that statement is that a rising tide carries all boats.

The reality of the lives of our students, in many cases, differs dramatically from my own experience growing up, the lives of my own children, and my life now. With more than sixty percent of St. Johnsbury's families eligible for free and reduced meals, I can only imagine that some hard choices are being made regularly. Will there be heat or food on the table? Will we have running hot water or new clothes? Will we pay for the prescriptions or the eyeglasses?

In addition, we must accept the fact that there are another ten percent or so of families in our school district that do not meet the federal definition of poverty. They are not "eligible" but are nowhere near close to comfortable. When families are in such dire financial circumstances, things like medical appointments, dental visits, and mental health practitioners, are pushed further and further toward the fringes of a family's capacity. A commitment to equity means that we must strive to not only recognize and honor, but also take steps to meet the unmet needs of our students.

To that end, our Leadership Team made a decision to ensure that next week every single student at the St. Johnsbury School will receive a carnation. The Parents' Group is having a fundraiser to support our school (I will save my rant on fundraisers in schools for a separate post), and as part of the fundraiser, students, faculty and staff can purchase a carnation and have one delivered to another person.

Fundraisers like this happen all across our nation, with groups finding ways to support and or fund programs in education that are not in the annual approved budget. They happen with the best of intentions, and ultimately they support the work that is happening in our schools. And yet, a blind spot of fundraisers like these is this: They ask some of our students to "display their poverty." Remember the choices I referenced earlier in this post? Imagine a child in a family where the money is tight, asking a parent or caregiver if there's any extra for carnations.

Further, imagine if you are a child that does not receive one single carnation when they are handed out.

Now, I know the naysayers will tell me that this isn't a big deal (it is - see below). And that this is like the growing sports philosophy, where everyone gets a trophy. Please let me point out that it is a big deal if you are the child that does not get a carnation next week. I have been in classrooms as a student and as a teacher and seen the looks on my classmates' and students' faces who did not receive what was being handed out. The guilt I felt when I saw their faces, while I had something (in some cases many things) on my own desk is something that confused me as a child; it is something that I work to eradicate now as an adult.

In terms of sports, let me stop you right there. Sports are a choice, a privilege. Sports are extracurricular, and while they have a place in our world, our athletes are students first. For more on the equity issues in sports, read a beautiful and provoking post by our Vermont colleague Peter Langella.

Public education is a right. Let me repeat, public education is a right, and in the state of Vermont, it is for all children aged six to sixteen. It is not a choice; it is not a privilege. Public schools should be palaces, places where the playing field is leveled, where equity lives, and where no one is asked to ever, ever show how their family struggles to make ends meet.

A commitment to this takes time and courage. I'm proud to serve with a Leadership Team that takes on the uncomfortable issues in our professional world. One flower at a time.

Photo courtesy of vectorstock.com