School – HebrewDawn

I am not certain how this happened, but the year 2023 came roaring in and has passed me by. I have written 0.0 times on this dear blog of mine last year, which might be a sign that the year was filled with a bit too much. But seriously though, where did you go, 2023?

Well, what happened was…

In November of 2022, a couple of friends sat me down to ask an important question of me, “Would you consider running for school board?” I was not one to say “yes” quickly and had various people in my life that I needed to consult with prior to my even considering a “yes.” For starters I need to talk to my husband and my boss. I needed to know how this would impact my family and the church I serve, as I would need their support in this endeavor. Everyone was very supportive from the outset, and then more friends began coming forward with the same school board question. With a lot people who knew me personally and professionally (from my work in the schools and community) asking that I run, a supportive spouse, and boss, I agreed and said “yes” to running for school board.

What I didn’t know was…

How hard it is to run for school board (or any office for that matter). How much there is for you to know. How much there is for you to do. How much there is for you to fundraise. While I knew the work of serving on school board would be tough, I had a general idea and handle on what was before me. Running for office was a whole other ~~beast~~ idea. I was not someone running for school board because I had my eyes on future political ambitions. I was someone running for school board because I believe in the power of public education, knew the transformational power of being a listening presence in our schools, and had list of people wanting to me to be the woman to get the job done.

What I did not expect was…

That there would be five of us on the ballot for one school board seat. You heard that right. There were FIVE people on the ballot for the Fairfield District on the Henrico County School Board. Running for office in a highly sought after seat was unbelievable. I met and became friends with some incredible people along the way. I reconnected with people I had not seen in quite some time. I learned so much about the election and campaign process, and discovered this is not something that lends itself well to new people on the scene.

The outcome of the election was…

not what any of us wanted, but I remain committed to our schools. The results were:

Write-In votes with 0.80%
Keith W. Hicks with 9.56%
Crystal D. Varner Parker with 17.56%
Tommie L. Jefferson with 20.02%
Terrell A. Pollard with 25.87%
Ryan E. Young as the winner with 26.19%.

As you can see, the vote was all over the place with the winner taking a very slim lead.

What I did learn was…

That there are over 3,300 people in my district who believed in me as the right candidate. That people would like me to consider running for office again, whether it is for school board or something else. That there are teachers, school staff, and division leaders who believed in me as the right candidate, and that they were holding onto hope I would win*. The reality is that if those teachers, staff, and leaders don’t live in my district, it doesn’t hold as much weight when they cannot vote for me.

_{*Most people don’t know this, but employees in certain positions of leadership are not allow to declare or express support of school board candidates. This meant that those who were dear friends or supporters of my candidacy were not allowed to say a word about me, my campaign, or why they wanted me to win.}

More than anything, I learned…

I can run for office, because I did it.

I can do incredibly hard things, because I’ve done it.

That I am committed to supporting our students, teachers, and school staff and that I won’t stop fighting for them.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m cheering on our new school board and holding onto hope that they will do what is best for our students, teachers, and school staff.

I’m not sure how many of you heard President Obama’s speech on Tuesday regarding gun violence, but it is definitely worth a listen. Whether you agree with our president on everything or not, one can’t help but feel compelled to do something about what’s going on in our country after his words. I don’t know what the answers are about gun control, but I do know I want a better place for my daughter.

It’s only been seven weeks since I wrote the post My Heart Hurts and sadly, it still does. The first mass shooting that comes to my mind was Columbine in 1999, which was when I was a sophomore in high school. At that time I knew some about what happened, but over time I learned more. Most of what I learned was about the victims and the community that took care of mending the broken hearts. I don’t recall learning much about the shooters, and I’m thankful for that. In the years since Columbine, we all know that mass shootings have been on the rise. What has also been on the rise is the publicity about those committing these atrocities. I want to hear more about the people who had their life cut short, and the amazing person they were! I want their stories to be able to live on, even when they cannot. This might not put an end to someone committing an awful crime, but this might take away the fame and glory that they’re seeking.

More than anything I do know that I want a better world for your children and mine. I don’t want my daughter to experience lockdown drills to prepare her for if/when the need may arise. I know of parents who talked to their children about alternate plans instead of waiting during a lockdown, but having a specific plan of action to protect themselves in other ways. This is not the conversation we should have to have with our babies, whether they are 4, 8, or 17!

No matter where we may stand on the issue of guns, gun ownership and increased regulations, we have to do something. How can we as an advanced society allow atrocities to continue happening? Even if increased regulations could not have prevented previous mass shootings, it does not mean that it won’t help in the future. I don’t know what this should look like and I don’t have all the answers to such a big issue. I do hope that despite differences, our elected representatives can work together to figure out a solution. Taking all guns away from law abiding Americans is not the answer. Taking guns always from those with mental illness in order to protect themselves and others may be. But this is not the end of what we need to do. Real conversation, prayer, and discernment does need to happen. If you could do something to keep your children safe, wouldn’t you do it?