What fight is it that we choose to win or lose

There are things about our school district that have come to light lately that I really don't like. I may or may not have been the current administration but its done and gone unfixed none the less. What I am having an issue with is that there are some who are choosing battles, choosing to use words and actions that will do nothing but hurt the children instead of dealing with the problems at hand. They are making the parents who are trying to make a difference and trying to make this a better place for our children look BAD. They are pushing their own agenda and overriding our parental message by being a bully. I don't put up with it if someone is trying to bully my kids and I won't let them bully me. I'm not sure how to deal with it though. It's like a steam roller moving through our progress. Shooting us down and pasting us to the hot asphalt as they move along. I won't lay down.

I have my reasons for opting out of standardized testing this year. I will plan fun and educational adventures for Hollywood and I (Blondy is in 1st grade and won't have STAR testing until next year). I'm going to call the Anthropology Museum at Chico State and ask if they can open early one day for us to come out. I want to do a walk in Upper Park to look at wild flowers and perhaps even have a mini math lesson over some coffee at Starbucks or Dutch Brothers.

I want to talk to some teachers about some afternoon/after school projects. We already have chess and knitting and drum lessons too I think. It would be interesting to impose some of Rebecca's ideas and start a board game club too. We can also spread our wings and do something about the budget by asking and asking and asking our board and our superintendent to use the money (if we get any) from the federal stimulus to keep teachers from losing their jobs and k-3 from losing "Class sized reduction".

So today I am doing something. I am asking parents to take a more active roll in your child's lives. I am asking for you to participate in their education, more than correcting homework and making sure their lunches are ready. California is in a time of crisis and our children are paying the price and will continue to pay the price. My hope is that we can ban together to weather this storm and come out on the other side more educated and driven to give our children the best education they deserve, public, private, home schooled or charter. They all deserve the best.