3-13-2023
Ahoy, DeVos Family!
“Imagine if every child had access to quality education, including summer camps that give them a taste of what they might like to do when they retire, to public schools that teach them how to get there.”
On this, the third anniversary of the untimely death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in Louisville, KY, I find myself on the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas in a slip at a marina owned by the DeVos Family of Michigan. With public schools in crisis, especially in sprawling, urban communities like mine, serving children much like Breonna Taylor, who was a graduate of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, I would be remiss if I did not make an effort to connect with the former US Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, or perhaps, the younger generation in her kind, generous family, who will be impacted if we don’t get these next steps right, and request a meeting and/or a donation to one of the non-profits I help manage.
I would like to share with you some of the things Kentucky has done well, like setting up locally governed Site-Based Decision-Making Councils, and introducing magnets to provide choice while attempting to increase diversity, while also asking for your assistance in addressing the things we do wrong, which charter schools and vouchers could make worse, not better. At least in my community.
I’ve included samples of some of the projects I’ve been involved with in my city and state in the hopes that you may be interested in learning more about our community’s plight. From the DOJ’s recent confirmation that our community has not been treated with the respect and dignity we deserve (which is why we prefer “Police-free schools” to keep our children safe from these predators), to downright criminal and fraudulent behaviors by elected and appointed leaders in our community.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the island at the end of the rainbow. We are departing from the marina today, but we may be back in this part of the Bahamas March 20-24 if a meeting were to be of interest. As part of the cruising community, we could also return for a meeting in the future, provided there is enough advance notice to plan routes and work around weather.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Justice for the People, PAC (2022 – Present)
Dear JCPS, Co-founder & President (2015 – Present)
Save Our Schools KY, Co-founder & President (2016 – Present)
Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Board Member (2020-Present)
Coalition for the People’s Agenda – Education Committee, Chair (2020-Present)
Candidate for JCPS School Board, District 3 (2022)
Candidate for KY Senate, District 36 (2018)
Governor’s Commonwealth Institute for Parental Leadership (GCIPL) Fellow (2017)
15th District PTA Vice President (2014-2017)
Shawnee PTSA President (2013-2015)