A good friend
of mine likes to remind me ALL THE TIME that “people don’t know, what they don’t know”. The only real way to “know”
is to take the time and become informed.
Over the last few years I was increasing frustrated over the departure of our amazing teachers. Sadly,
I learned this was not just happening at Friendship and Kings
Highway but all over the district! As I started to ask questions I realized that
most teachers weren’t able to safely speak out. When they did speak up, (and I have personally witnessed on several occasions) they faced one form of intimidation or retaliation.
Honestly, it’s debatable whether I, in fact, truly
“didn’t know” or if I just chose
not to know… However, when I started
to hear on almost a weekly basis that another die-hard Coatesville grad (many dear friends) was
choosing to leave the district, sh*t started to get real. Then, my seven year old son began to exhibit some serious
behavioral issues (out of nowhere), not “knowing”
was no longer an option. For me “knowing” was my focus. Enough was enough, I was jumping in with two
feet and not looking back. I knew I had
to help, but I also knew I couldn’t do this alone. Many advocates in this district were working to restore concerns long before me, however
I couldn’t seem to find an organized group working together to fix the growing number of problems. It became clear, that to be part of an organized
group, I would need to create it. I
looked at all the issues of concern in our district and then set out to find
others like me who would not only be enthusiastic about the district, but also
bring a unique balance of passion, skills, and expertise.
In January of
2018, I committed to go to every board meeting. Through those meetings, I met other like-minded
individuals (parents and community members alike) from all walks of life and
backgrounds. Each and every one of us had the same vision – Not only did we
want to see our own children get the best education and learning experience possible
out of Coatesville, but we wanted to ensure that those children who didn’t have anyone advocating for them received the same opportunities our kids received. To my amazement, most of them were intrigued
by my silly idea of a “group.” I’m fairly certain, I didn’t expect many of them
to show up when I planned our first meeting - But luckily these people did, and were MY
community people!
This last year
and a half has been so empowering and life changing for me. Together we have successfully organized CCAP, a community based
education advocacy group that has a mission to “empowering individuals, teachers, families, and administrators to
speak up, get involved, and take action within Coatesville. Whether it’s facilitating dialogue between
teachers and board members or advocating for parents to get the help their
child needs, we work with everyone to have his or her voices heard.” I could not be more proud of the work we are
doing and the leadership team behind it. These are some of the most amazing, hard-working group women and one awesome guy I've ever had the pleasure of working
with. I couldn't ask for a more dedicated, passionate, and skilled team to empower our community. We truly are all better together – Together we are changing
Coatesville!
CCAP – Why we are better
together:
Her dedication
to the district and helping bring back the positive aspects from the past while
looking forward to the needs in the future is unparalleled. Her team
appreciates her thoughtfulness, sassiness, and passion! Her sincerity is unparalleled, and her heart is always looking out for others!
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