When we, Malia Cordel and Jennifer Fitzgerald, decided to run for seats on the KCSD Board of Education, we did so as relatively unknown members of the community. Though our bids were unsuccessful, our goals for the district are as urgent as ever. The many recent acts of violence, especially the mass murders in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas, both committed by 18-year-olds, have only underscored their importance. The Washington Post reported that 70 percent of school shootings since 1999 were carried out by children under 18.

Here are some preventative steps that we think the district must take:

Increase mental health supports for our students and teachers;
Ensure all teachers and staff are well-trained in and practicing peaceful conflict resolution methods and trauma-informed approaches to classroom management;
Center building children's skills around conflict management, stress management and empathy for classmates (social and emotional learning) in all Pre-K and K-12 classes;
Teach our students the knowledge and critical thinking skills to discern between truth and misinformation, especially as it pertains to online activities;
Create and swiftly implement a digital literacy program such as the Learning for Justice Digital Literacy Framework;
Foster a supportive school environment where students feel safe to talk to each other and to staff and;
Make sure every single student has at least one adult whom they trust and connect with at school.

We urge the district to take concrete steps to increase the sense of community in all of our schools, especially the middle schools and Kingston High School. For example:

reducing class and/or cohort size;
actively integrating students into peer activities;
creating opportunities for all students to participate in after-school activities (including help with transportation, etc.);
ensuring meaningful two-way communication between families and school;
providing sufficient translation and interpretation for families who are not English speakers and;
welcoming families into the school community and seeking out their support for children’s learning.

We hope to see people in our community join us in our efforts to create a better future for our children and a better world for everyone. Together we can ensure every child the quality education we want for our own. Some ways to get involved now are talking with our children, family, teachers, and principals about school issues; attending and speaking up at school board meetings and district town halls; and writing letters to elected officials.