Editor’s note: This is the third post in our school choice wish series. See the rest of the line-up here.
by Sharhonda Bossier
I’ve never been into making wish lists. I’m not much of a dreamer – or “wisher.” I am – and have always been – a doer, a worker, a fighter.
Perhaps my focus on “doing” is the result of where and how I grew up. I was raised by my grandparents, who never let me live under the delusion that WISHING for success would be enough. My grandparents had limited formal education, but they wanted better for their children so they DID something about it. They were part of the generation of Black Americans who left the South during the Great Migration in search of better lives only to encounter a slightly different Jim Crow.
The awful schools, substandard living conditions and persistent discrimination weren’t that different from what they’d left behind. Still, they DID something about it. They fought for access to better schools and improved housing conditions. They fought against the weight of inner city violence, deeply rooted intergenerational poverty and drug epidemics. And, they invested in future generations, raising me to work hard and to fight for what I knew was right.
Thanks to my grandparents, my commitment to DOING led me to a career as an educator and organizer. I’ve spent the past decade working in schools and helping others fight for access to better schools, just like my grandparents. That is because I believe all children deserve to attend an excellent school that will prepare them for success in the college or career of their choice. I believe families should be able to choose where to send their children to school and we should support policies that make that possible – especially for children trapped in schools that have failed their communities for generations.
Four years ago, I set out to help build a movement of parents willing to do whatever it took to guarantee every child in their city received an excellent education. I marched with those parents, helped spread that momentum to other cities, and watched more parents DO something to guarantee a brighter future for their kids. I watched as decision-makers & power players were forced to listen to communities they’d once neglected & ignored.
Because of this, I am hopeful that the future my grandparents worked for – and yes, WISHED for – is possible.
It is in this newfound hope that I have finally found the nerve to wish for something.
- I wish more people would listen to parents that want a better future for their children, but are powerless in the current school system.
- I wish more people would march with these parents and help amplify their voices.
- I wish things like courage, conviction and commitment were contagious, so when people met the parents I’ve worked with they too would DO something to guarantee every child attended an excellent school.
From my experience and the work of my grandparents, I know that none of this will be possible without more people DOING something to change the lives of children trapped in failing schools. I wish more of us would DO what is right for children.
Sharhonda Bossier is vice president, advocacy and engagement, at Education Cities, a nonprofit working to dramatically increase the number of great public schools across the country. Previously she co-founded Families for Excellent Schools.
Coming Wednesday: Rev. Timothy Scully, founder of the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame.
