'Partisans for democracy' can help schools

Parents should be supporting our school boards - not attacking them. So, it was encouraging to hear 10 out of 11 individuals speak in support of the District 211 school board on Jan. 20.

All around our country, however, our educators and public schools are currently being targeted by the abusive words and actions of a vocal minority. In his Dec. 14, 2021, neaToday article, Edward Graham points to one effect of these attacks: "The peddling of misinformation has led to a sharp increase in threats aimed at educators and school board officials, many of whom have been intimidated or threatened."

Jennifer Jenkins, a Brevard County, Florida, school board official, found herself on the receiving end of "months of threats," according to a Nov. 5, 2021, New York Times article written by Alan Feuer. These threats, Jenkins told Feuer, escalated to her phone number being posted on Facebook, hateful voicemail messages and damage done to her landscaping.

This campaign of systematic attacks experienced by Jenkins represent what Joseph Kahne and John Rogers identify in their Oct. 15, 2021, Los Angeles Times Op-Ed, as, "a broader effort by powerful and well-funded groups seeking to undermine the legitimacy of democratic governance."

Kahne and Rogers state, "We need more parents, educators, and community members to participate in school board meetings. More than ever, they need to be partisans for democracy, rejecting antidemocratic rhetoric, falsehoods and threats being made against school board members."

Fortunately, the support shown by the 10 out of 11 individuals who spoke at the Jan. 20 District 211 school board meeting underscores the fact that our community has an abundance of "partisans for democracy" who are courageous and determined to stand up and speak in defense of our local educators and our schools.

Cathy Risberg

Palatine