Knock, knock. Who’s there?
Hey, neighbor. Yes, I’m still here! Though it’s been a few weeks since I posted any news it’s not because I’ve stopped working hard on this campaign—rather it’s the opposite. I’m staying very busy meeting with voters, neighbors, and anyone I can bend the ear of to impress upon them the importance of local elections and voting on or before November. 4th.
While I feel confident I can do the job of a School Board member well, there are aspects of campaigning that frankly I’m terrible at. Namely, documenting with photos what is going on so that you can see that I’m out there doing what needs to be done. However, in the absence of a good photo, I’ve drawn you a picture that is a pretty accurate depiction of the last couple weeks…
See? Doesn’t it look like we’re having fun canvassing?
I could have typed something into Ai, but that is a conversation for another blog post.
The past weeks have been spent knocking on doors throughout District 6! And I need your help to continue these efforts. Please check out the EVENTS page to see when you can join in. You’ll never go alone. I’ve found so much encouragement getting to talk with friends as we walk, and also just as much encouragement meeting district 6 neighbors that care equally about public education.
Some of my favorite conversations have been with young people who recently graduated through WPS. One was eager to tell me about how he felt proud of going through one of the WPS Career Pathways and has a job that he enjoys now. What I really appreciated though, was this young man’s willingness to speak up and share what WPS could have done better for him. He wasn’t bitter- he was optimistic and knew that his insight of going through the experience had meaning. He said that he wished in high school he was able to be a part of a large schoolwide effort to achieve something bigger than himself. He liked athletics but didn’t make the cut for the sport he wanted to play. He felt like kids were still separated a lot and wanted to suggest that high schools could find a collective effort to work towards so that when they sat in a pep assembly they got to cheer something on together. He knew the importance of being connected to those around you.
Conversations like these bring to light the importance of the BOE staying keenly in touch with the teachers, students, and families navigating public education. Proximity to the process matters. That’s one of the reasons I feel so strongly that we have at least one parent or direct caregiver of WPS students on the BOE. And while I won’t pretend that our household’s journey, or my parent experience in WPS looks exactly like anyone else’s- because indeed we all have different paths- I believe that my experience going through the ins and outs of enrollment, school decisions, particpating in PTO (and running it for years), fears of school closures, and at times frustration at the quality of my kids’ education, can all be an important part of my service. And I look forward to bring your experience and voice to the table, too.
Please reach out Amy@WarrenforWichitaSchools.com or 316-320-4209.