Martin Luther King, Jr.-40th Anniversary of His Assassination

On Friday, April 4, we honored the 40th anniversary of the assassination in Memphis, Tennesseee of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. As many, I have read and listened to reflections on the life and legacies of this American leader who feared not death nor condemnation in his pursuit of justice for all, regardless of skin color, native tongue, background, social status or income. His soaring oratory still inspires us to seek higher ground and hold on to aspirations that all Americans succeed and prosper. But we cannot overlook the great challenges within his words. To paraphrase author and scholar, Michael Eric Dyson, justice is really a public expression of love for one another. And although justice is a noun, it becomes a verb as it is acted out. It is lofty, it is hard, it is unselfish, it is necessary.

As school board member, I have developed a passion for my work. And when you have passion, you do what is necessary to do the job well. And doing the job well means doing the right thing. I believe that every child deserves the conditions necessary for educational success. I believe in holding high expectations for every child. And that means also holding high expectations for us all- school board members, superintendent, administrators, principals, teachers, staff, families, business and community leaders, neighbors and residents-because, while conditions for educational success are formed in our classrooms, they are also shaped in our homes and neighborhoods.

For every school can be great, and every child can be successful. To me, that is what justice looks like in public education. I have not shied away from making tough decisions, developing arguments for doing what is right, and working to transform how our children are educated in ways that are more profoundly effective and more deeply equitable.

I pledge to continue serving in this way for these reasons. And I also pledge to continue asking everyone to seek their better angels, and work together to bring this community into the "promised land," a place of justice, opportunity and prosperity for all.