Lexington C.A.R.E.S.Community Action for Responsible Education and Safety
About Us
Lexington C.A.R.E.S.In May 2005, a group of Lexington Public School parents and Lexington residents came together and created Lexington C.A.R.E.S. We were concerned about the publicity and impact of David Parker's arrest at the Estabrook elementary school. We felt the media reports did not accurately portray:
Given the links between Mr. Parker and statewide anti-gay organizations, and the extended and well-planned nature of Mr. Parker's Estabrook campaign, we felt as if our schools and town were being used in a larger statewide campaign. Most importantly, the safe and inclusive character of our schools that we had worked so hard to build was itself directly under attack.
Lexington CARES' mission is to be the voice of community members who value the excellence of the Lexington Public School System and who wish to preserve, maintain, and strengthen the community values of inclusiveness and welcoming that provide the opportunity for every student to succeed. We are working to make sure the truth is told.
Lexington C.A.R.E.S. first and foremost believes that every child that attends the Lexington Public Schools deserves a classroom environment that is welcoming, safe and inclusive. All children must feel welcome and comfortable in the classroom to reach their academic potential.
Lexington C.A.R.E.S. supports the actions of the school officials and the police department. We believe it would have been a serious mistake to agree to Mr. Parker's demands. This would have resulted in a "gag order" on teachers and other adults in the classroom whenever there was a discussion about certain families - real families that exist in Lexington. There are discussions about students' families every day in the early elementary grades. Mr. Parker and his supporters want to single out a particular family situation as one that can't be discussed without the removal of one or more children from the classroom. This isn't about Mr. Parker's child in isolation -- the other children in the class would be getting the message from their teacher that it is OK to treat differently their peers who have two moms or two dads. And that's a very chilling message.
We believe that every child must be able to freely discuss their family in the classroom and every child deserves to see their family structure reflected in school materials.
A guest commentary, Lexington CARES about our tradition of inclusive, safe and welcoming classrooms by Lexington C.A.R.E.S. appeared in the Lexington Minuteman on June 16, 2005.