What School is Best for Your Kids?

What School is Best for Your Kids?

When we moved our family to the suburbs over 20 years ago, my husband and I had a few good laughs. The first three families we met couldn’t stop gushing about their gifted and talented kids. We thought, “Lucky us, it must be in the water!” They bragged nonstop, telling us how their kids were better than the others in the school district and how they needed to move or put their kids in private schools because they were so talented.

Over time, a couple of them moved farther south or east to enroll their kids in a “better school.” To me, it all seemed silly. In reality, those families were afraid of diversity and afraid of change. Unfortunately, those families quickly learned that the new schools were populated with higher income families, increased drug problems, and less experienced teachers, leading to many new and bigger challenges for them as parents. One guarantee in life is that change is constant, and a person’s attitude and perspective have great impact on those changes.

Currently, we live in Burnsville. Our family loves this community and the schools. However, as new families move in, they’ve been spreading fear and rumors about what is wrong with our district’s schools. Our two sons graduated from Burnsville, which was a great experience for them as students and us as parents. There were many dedicated teachers who helped them succeed.

It breaks my heart to know a variety of income levels and cultural diversity scares and upsets so many people. It’s very unfortunate that they always try to uphold an image of good standing while being unable to accept and welcome anyone that looks or lives differently than them. This week, I encourage you have a conversation with your school age kids about the importance of diversity in our community and getting to know others who come from different backgrounds. Without acceptance within our communities, we risk living in fear and shame rather than embracing opportunities to connect, grow, and thrive.

What does living your exceptional life look like to you?

When was the last time you got to know someone who looks or lives differently than you?

What rumors have you spread from a place of fear because you didn’t understand someone or their lifestyle?

How do you positively promote the importance of inclusion and diversity when talking to your kids?