We live in a democratic state. I say this not in reference to a particular political party, but because I firmly believe that Massachusetts truly has a democratic government… one controlled by the people, for the people, achieved by the give and take between opposing voices, with compromise being an important component of the process.
I wish I could say that we live in a democratic nation. After hearing the news regarding the most recent peaceful No Kings rallies from around the country, I am encouraged. But we still have a very long way to go to achieve that status again.
I should perhaps qualify my comments by stating that I served the Town of Plymouth for 32 years as a special education teacher. During that time, I was constantly amazed by the talents of every student with whom I worked. Albeit some may have encountered academic or behavioral challenges along the way, every single one was a valuable member of the school community, strengthening the fabric of that community with their contributions.
Additionally, I served as a member of the EAPC, as both a representative and an officer. In those roles, I served on negotiating teams, as well as in grievance procedures. I truly believe that I can say that I know a little about the give and take process which I earlier referenced; and though we did not always achieve what we may have wanted, I believe we always had the best interest of the students in mind.
The concept of keeping the best interests of the children in mind permeated the entire Plymouth Public Schools system while I was a member, as – I am confident to say – it does to this day. The teachers I have known never tried to force their own beliefs on their charges, though we did inform them that there were generally two sides to every story, and we would present all sides.
The current political climate in this country brings to mind a learning experience we attempted prior to the 2012 election. A copy of the following letter was sent to the following candidates: for President: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney; for US Senate: Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren; for Massachusetts Senate: Therese Murray and Thomas Brown.
The text of the letter:
Hedge School is a small, neighborhood school in America’s Hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts. As one of the oldest schools in Plymouth we are deeply rooted in the traditions of yesteryear, yet we are young enough to embrace the vibrant pulses of today.
One of our most honored traditions is our Thanksgiving feast, in which the entire school gathers in the gymnasium to enjoy a home-cooked turkey dinner, prepared by parents and staff, and served to the students by the staff. During this gathering we take time to offer thanks to those in our community that ensure our freedom and safety through their service.
In the upcoming school year we will have our fingers on one of the most important pulses of the day as we focus on the election process at the national, state, and local levels, reflecting often upon the efforts of the original English settlers to establish a democratic government through the Mayflower Compact. We will take every opportunity to showcase the efforts that you and your honorable opponent are making to further the growth of democracy. As such we would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our feast this year, on Wednesday, November 21st.
We are extending this same invitation to your opponent, (name added). The election will have been decided by then, but we believe it will be an important demonstration for our students to observe how those of differing opinions can put aside their differences and come together, much as the Wampanoags and Pilgrims did at America’s first Thanksgiving.
We wish you the best throughout the election, and we appreciate your consideration of this invitation. We look forward to sharing the specific details of the feast with you and your staff. Thank you for your valuable time.
Unfortunately, none of the invitees could attend, though at least each of the Democratic Party candidates responded with an appreciation for the consideration, and a positive message for attempting the activity.
We did not repeat this activity in 2016, largely because of the penchant for lying and rude, bombastic language of one particular candidate. We did not want to expose the students to behaviors that we consistently implored them to ignore.
In closing, I would remind us all to be on the lookout for avenues to increase positive communications between the opposing sides; but, knowing that this is not possible if one side is not open to compromise, we must remain vigilant to ensure that the pillars of the educational system we have built are not eroded by outrageous demands and mandates.
– Robert F. Smith