Dear Santa..

As we embrace another holiday season and go about our shopping, eating, and greeting of our family members I would be remiss if I didn’t express my wishes for our most precious resource, our children. So I sat down to pen my wishlist for them personally and for the adults who make critical decisions that affect their lives educationally and into the future.

• I wish our kids didn’t have to endure school closures and transitions that put their lives in turmoil. More importantly, I wish the adults who have control of this would re-examine the urge to use this as the only resort. It negatively affects kids more than you all admit to know.

• I wish parents would create a more organized coalition, and seek to develop common strategies to bring a better education system to our kids. Accountability should be a key goal of this coalition as we seek to partner with entities who have our children’s best interest at heart. Let’s break down the walls of these silos that we operate in and realize that numbers and a clear, precise, and well-spoken demand is our greatest strength

• I wish the Orleans Parish School Board and Supt. Henderson Lewis would practice and show some leadership as it relates to our school system and engagement with families. They have yet to articulate a plan to garner more quality schools or seats to parents or the community whom they serve. I also wish they don’t believe they can close their way to quality seats because that would just be simply irresponsible and careless.

• I wish those previously mentioned school board members would do the duties of their elected jobs and visit more schools to talk to more families. I’m guessing the people that you say you serve should at least know who you are, just a thought.

• I wish nonprofit organizations, the Education Research Alliance Of New Orleans, and similar entities would stop getting money to study us and maybe that money could actually be used to help make education better in New Orleans. I believe we’ve been guinea pigs long enough. If you don’t have the answers by now, then it must be you.

• I wish Ed Reformers would stop thinking that all charter schools are good and that things are better in the New Orleans education system. They aren’t and we’re not. Plus, please don’t try to debate me on this with studies done by the Education Research Alliance Of New Orleans. They lack real human stories and humanity. I find most of these studies are bias research anyway. If you want the truth get it from the source.

• I wish teachers weren’t afraid to speak their mind and were free to use their talent without fear of being let go by the reigning CEO of the CMO operator that they work for. We know that’s why they fired all of those veteran teachers, but this needs to get better because teachers are the light keepers of the future.

• I wish that we begin to work together for the future of our children. I wish that this entire metropolitan area realizes that the success of each and every one of our children is the only way to see a better tomorrow in our communities and respective cities!

I am quite aware that all of these wishes are truly attainable if we come together behind a unified goal. All of our ideas, thoughts, and opinions matter and can lead to a better New Orleans for future generations. I promise to do my part, will you join me?