GRAPEVINE – Hundreds of parents, educators and students gathered at Grapevine High School Thursday night for a multi-district rally in support of Texas schools.
Leaders from Carroll, Grapevine-Colleyville and Keller school districts organized the rally to encourage community members to be advocates for education."We want our legislators to know that students are a priority, and we don’t want them to put it off for a special session," said Sue Armstrong, Carroll trustee and a rally organizer.The program started with drumlines from the three school districts and included music and a dramatic presentation from students.Southlake businessman Frank Bliss talked about "the structural deficit" in the current funding system and how the resources have been cut while the expectations have grown with high stakes assessments. He urged parents and educators to take a stand to support public schools.Nika Maples, a teacher at South Keller Intermediate School and the 2007 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year, talked about why she became a teacher. "It wasn’t because I thought I could change the face of education," Maples said. "I thought I could touch one heart at a time."She said students need a lot more than information to pass tests; they need someone who cares about helping them build their futures. Several parents also spoke at the rally about the need for action.Colleyville dad R. Louie Sullins said that although educators do a great job with the inadequate funds they have, a continued lack of resources would harm students in the short term due to fewer available programs and in the future by not preparing them to thrive in a global economy."I don’t want to be part of a generation that didn’t take action to keep our schools great," Sullins said.D’Lee Marshall, Keller parent and executive director of the Keller ISD Education Foundation, said that schools shouldn’t be bogged down by too many state assessments.Several of those who attended the rally said they were inspired by what they heard.Keller School Board President Kevin Stevenson said he was encouraged to see the passionate support from parents and students and hoped they could keep the momentum going to urge more adequate funding, less burdensome testing and increased local control.Brandi Mendenhall, a teacher at Parkwood Hill Intermediate School, said she wanted to show her support for schools because she sees firsthand how the cuts have impacted students. As class sizes have increased and special programs and support staff numbers have decreased, kids receive fewer resources.Jeff Jennings, a father in the Grapevine-Colleyville school district and resident of Euless, said, "I walked out of the meeting wondering what I can do next?"He said he planned to contact his legislators.State Sen. Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth) was the only legislator who attended the rally. "I think calls for action like we saw tonight are really important, and I hope we see a lot more of them."Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
