We reached out to our readers looking for parents to talk about why they would be keeping their kids home Thursday if their schools were open.
We received numerous responses (thank you!). But there was one that stuck with us.
Barbara Anderson, an Oro Valley mom, shared her story with us in form of a letter she sent to her elected officials about why her family supports the #RedforEd movement.
We think you should read it too.
Dear Senator Smith and Representatives Finchem and Leach:
Our son, Jude, was diagnosed with leukemia at 18 months old and survived 3 relapses. There were many days when we doubted whether he would live to the age of 5. During these dark days, the hope that kept us going was that someday he might be able to go to kindergarten.
Miraculously, he survived! And he was able to start kindergarten this fall in the Amphitheater School District. His survival came at a high price — when he started school, Jude was in a walking boot, as his leg was fractured, a result of weak bones from all the chemotherapy he had. His speech was only about 50% intelligible, a side effect of a chemotherapy-caused ear infection that almost killed him and led to permanent hearing damage. He couldn’t stand up without assistance, making it nearly impossible for him to sit “criss-cross applesauce” on the floor with his peers. And his handwriting was far below where it should be — an effect of graft vs. host disease from his bone marrow transplant that impacted his upper body mobility.
Jude is living proof of what a high-quality public school can do for a child. During this year he has received nearly every service the public school system has to offer: he is on an IEP, he has a special health plan with the school nurse, he works with the school psychologist, he works with the district audiologist because of his hearing loss and he receives weekly physical, occupational and speech therapy.
As a result, Jude is thriving! His physical strength and speech have come so far since the start of the school year. He loves learning and wants to be a chemist when he grows up. THIS is what quality public education looks like: welcoming a student with disabilities and challenges with open arms and fostering growth and excellence.
Aidan is an officer in the Arizona National Guard, and we have quality medical insurance, but even with our insurance, accessing and coordinating all of these services on our own would have been incredibly difficult. While we’re proud of our service and grateful for our benefits, only the services through our public schools can help our son achieve his potential.
His teacher, principal and school staff have made themselves available to us after hours and on weekends to address any concerns we have about Jude — even going as far to reassure me what is “typical” given that our only experience is with a child who was critically ill most his life. The love, care and compassion exhibited is beyond anything I could have imagined.
This story is indicative of how much teachers and school staff put into their jobs. During the year, we’ve seen his teacher purchase snacks with her own money to help feed children who don’t have enough food at home, consistently come in on Saturdays to prepare for the week and scour sources of funding to make special projects possible.
This is why our family is Red for Ed. We urge you to support the demands of the Arizona Educators United.
Sincerely,
Aidan and Barbara Anderson
