Lexington C.A.R.E.S.In May 2005, a group of Lexington Public School parents and town residents met to talk about the publicity and impact of David Parker's arrest at the Estabrook elementary school. We felt the media reports did not accurately portray: 1) Lexington's longstanding community values; 2) the commitment of our public school system to uphold these values; and 3) the real issues involved in Mr. Parker's demands. Given the link between Mr. Parker and the Article 8 Alliance, a statewide anti-gay organization, and the extended and well-planned nature of Mr. Parker's Estabrook campaign, we felt as if our school was being used in a larger statewide campaign against inclusive classrooms. More importantly, the safe and inclusive character of our schools that we had worked so hard to build was itself directly under attack.
The mission of Lexington CARES is to be the voice for the 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.
Lexington has a long tradition of opening our town and classrooms to all. Many of us moved here in part because of that welcoming attitude. In the 1950-60s, the Lexington Civil Rights Committee worked to uncover racism in real estate sales, and to remediate it. Elderly housing was also brought to the town, and providing services for the elderly remains a core value. In 1966, we were one of the first communities to join METCO, the program that brings students from Boston to attend our public schools. In 1993, the Lexington Public Schools rededicated themselves to reducing racism and increasing tolerance by joining the Empowering Multicultural Initiatives program, which provided training for many teachers and administrators. That same year, LPS also adopted three Core Values, including "Diversity and Individuality," the goal of which is "helping all members of the school community learn to respect human differences." In 1999, aware that every school had same-gender families, that "gay" is the most common school-yard put-down even in early elementary grades, and that gay teens are four times as likely to attempt suicide as their straight peers, LPS began working to make classrooms safer and more inclusive for the children of same-gender parents.
Some argue that the schools should stick to "the basics": reading, writing, math, science, etc. Our experience in Lexington shows that for the child who is teased, taunted, or bullied because something about that student or their family is different, the classroom becomes a place where learning is difficult. A public school system is responsible for providing a safe and productive learning environment for all children so that they can learn "the basics".
The recently publicized demands for notification when same-gender families are mentioned in classroom discussion would undo the principles of safe classrooms and community that our town has worked toward for decades. The practical reality is that if these demands were met, teachers would be forced to either exclude the children of same-gender parents from discussion or remove other children from class when the same-gender families were mentioned. For example, when a kindergarten teacher grants each child in a class a special day to share about their family and traditions, what message is sent when one child can't come to school because another child is sharing about her family with two moms? Either of these outcomes would send the destructive message that some families are not as valued as others. It would undermine the important concept that the public schools value all our children and their families.
While we are focused on Lexington public schools, we know that our town is not alone. A recent article in the New York Times chronicled similar attacks against inclusiveness at public schools across the United States. We note that Mr. Parker and the Article 8 Alliance have not kept this issue local, but have publicized their case broadly, even on nationwide cable TV.
Lexington CARES is determined to ensure that our citizens understand the impact of the demands made by Mr. Parker and the Article 8 Alliance. We will work to make sure that all of our children can speak and be acknowledged in our public school classrooms for who they, and their families, are. We will promote and preserve these long-held core values of our town, these values that our schools have implemented to create a productive learning environment and these values that continue to attract families to Lexington and the Lexington public schools.