True Stories of #PublicEdProud
By Jessica Jernigan
OEA member and Director of School and Community Engagementat Bixby Public Schools
As published in the Tulsa World, Feb. 25, 2022.
What makes us #PublicSchoolProud? These anecdotes are a mere glimpse into a true and deeper story with a name and a face, a student on the other side of the relationship, all of which I’ve observed as just one educator in one district over the course of 13 short years.
It’s the teacher who meets a student on the floor next to his desk, overwhelmed because he’s never attended school before. She sits there by his side as long as it takes for him to feel comfortable. It’s the counselor who spends her morning braiding a student’s hair because she struggled as she got herself ready this morning, and the school nurse who welcomes in an exhausted student for a nap as he had no sleep the night before because mom and dad were fighting again.
It’s the district administrator who organizes a college visit for a student with dreams of becoming an engineer while lacking the support at home to make it happen, the football coach who teaches his athletes the 21 hours of the day when they aren’t at practice are equally important, and the superintendent who attends car duty daily. It’s the school board member who stood arm in arm with teachers during a historic walkout, the special education teacher who makes sure her student has an accessible swing on the playground and the school secretary who assists a new, non-English speaking family with enrollment.
It’s the teacher who keeps a stash of snacks because you can’t learn when your tummy is growling, the director of technology who spends time outside her workday to ensure students have wifi access at home, and the student who asks his mom to pack an extra lunch for his friend experiencing food insecurity. It’s the school resource officer who checks on kids at home when a teacher is concerned for their safety, the child nutrition staff standing outside, rain or shine, to provide meals for students during distance learning, and the community organization seeing to it every single child experiences the magic of the holiday season when otherwise there’d be nothing under the tree.
It’s the executive director of operations who travels hundreds of miles to ensure the drama department has a set for an upcoming play, the custodian who takes a student under his wing, and the fifth grade team who plans celebration conferences, changing the climate of parent-teacher communication. It’s the paraprofessional who ensures a student never sits alone at lunch, the principal who spends her evening driving through neighborhoods in search of a missing student, and the assistant principal who chooses to be curious about a student’s misbehavior instead jumping to a consequence because he recognizes lunch detention isn’t a solution to trauma.
It’s the bus driver who ensures a student’s trip to school is safe and welcoming, the reading specialist who visits the library alongside a struggling student, helping her develop a love of reading, and the principal who provides a soft place to land in her office for students who need a breather. It’s the high school teacher who attends a student’s sporting event because otherwise, no one would be there to cheer them on, the teacher who runs for public office because they recognize the need for our voices to be heard, and the school counselor who calls a student every morning, reminding her it’s time to catch the bus.
It’s the teacher who assures an anxious student, “you’re not defined by a test score.” It’s the premise that when students approach our doors, they are welcomed with open arms. No questions asked. No entrance exam. No questionnaire. No limitations. Just a smile, a warm hug, and a greeting of “we’re so glad you’re here!”
It’s the people.
