Get Up, Stand Up and Take the OPSB Survey

 

“Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don’t give up the fight.” A melodic invitation by Bob Marley to civic participation. A wake up call to notice what is right in front of us even though we either don’t see it or choose not to see it in the hope it will just fix itself. But we know better. Issues don’t delete themselves, in fact they are more prone to repeat themselves if we don’t proactively deal with them; reactions are often too late and then we are stuck figuring out how to deal with the aftermath.  

What can and should be done? What are our next moves? Take advantage of any and every civic engagement opportunity that crosses your path. Be a voice at any decibel level for your child, your nieces, nephews, cousins and friends’ children. Take a few minutes one day to visit a school when it’s not for a specific event; it will help you control the narrative around the visit. Ask questions and be interested and inquisitive, just as we are with our kids.

But Where Do I Even Start?

It’s hard and even intimidating to know what to ask or how to start.  Never fear, my friend, I have the perfect answer. The Orleans Parish School Board wants to hear from you and they are using a survey to learn what you think and how you feel about public education in New Orleans. The survey encompasses all public schools, both traditional and charter.   The survey will be posted until April 28 and all information about how to take it and or host an event for it can be found at the OPSB Website. You can also take the survey on your phone by texting “NOLAEDSURVEY” to 41411.

We have no excuse for not participating. They really have made it accessible to all of us.

The survey and other recent efforts are part of the Unification Process that is taking place within New Orleans Public Schools. These new events are about the rebuilding and rebranding of public education in our city. I truly believe these efforts are a step in the right direction for establishing an adequate school system that teaches our children holistically and will get back to the basics of education in our city. There is still lots of work to be done and elected officials need to hear from their constituents about what they need and demand. But this is a strong start and I am optimistic that it could be the spark to get some of my fellow New Orleanians off the sidelines and into the game.

Our elected officials work for us, the administration at OPSB work for the families of our great city so we should receive this olive branch and start working together for the educational betterment of our children.

Will taking a survey bring you to a school board meeting? I’m not sure but maybe it will.  Will taking a survey bring you to your child’s school to have a visit just to observe? I don’t know but that would be really awesome if it did.  

Let’s get in the game for our children. Let’s get informed for their future. Let’s get out in front of what we want to be done with us, for us and by us.

Every parent voice matters and our voices are stronger than we think.

 

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