I suspect that most would agree that a supportive community is a critical ingredient in the recipe for successful schools. A community that is divided over its level of support for education causes school improvement efforts to be that much more difficult. With this in mind, I have watched our federal senate race very closely. The candidates’ endless stream of negative ads and the vandalism of political signs makes me feel that this race is the most divisive political campaign in recent memory. I wonder then, how this political fracturing of our community will affect our schools. Will the political lines in the sand carry over into the support of our schools? On Friday night this concern was pushed aside.
I attended the memorial service for Takoda Zimmerman, our student from Nikiski who passed away last week. The overwhelming sense of community at this celebration of Takoda’s life made it clear that the fabric that ties us together is still there and is strong. Although the event was sad and difficult, the outpouring of support for the Zimmerman family was a good reminder that the contentious political divisions only run so deep. In the big scheme of things, they are really not that important.
The importance of strong community support for our children, and for one another, cannot be diminished. Let’s not let politics cause us to lose sight of this.
On behalf of everyone at KPBSD I send the Zimmerman family condolences for the loss of Takoda and wish them the best during this difficult time.
Sense of Community