Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons – the fresh, crisp air, football, pumpkin spice (yes, I’m on that team!), falling leaves and new beginnings. My oldest daughter turns 13 in October and so fall also holds that special place for me as well. When fall rolls around each year, for so many reasons, it is always me. A time to look back and a time to look ahead. Fall is commonly thought of as a time to harvest or to reap what has been planted. While I know that this fall has been full of tremendous challenges for us all, as we continue to valiantly educate students in the midst of an on-going global pandemic, it can also be a time for hope. A time to harvest.
In the CEA world, Fall is also that time of year when we kick into high gear with election season. Like most things this school year, this election season feels harder than those of the past. But every day, I remind myself of what is at stake education victory on election night. Whether it is a post on social media, post card writing, phone banking, talking to a neighbor, family member or friend, safely
canvassing a neighborhood, each day I do at least one thing to support election 2021, big or small.
When life gets overwhelming, I try to remember that adage of taking one bite of the way to do small things to ensure victory on election night, then we know that we will reap the rewards with school boards that value educators and support our students and our public schools. We know that there are those out there who are trying to that serves all students, regardless of zip code, skin color, or background. They are counting on us to be too tired to care. But they don’t know the will of educators and what we are willing to do to ensure a great public school for every child.
As the great labor leader, Cesar Chavez reminds us, “We don’t need perfect political systems; we need perfect participation.” The Colorado Education Association is over 39,000 educators across the state of Colorado. We are powerful when we come together. We are powerful when we participate. We are powerful when students and public education. Let’s elect pro-public education advocates to our
school boards. Let’s support local bond and mill levy overrides. While the work is long and hard, the harvest will be bountiful. Si se puede!
Amie Baca-Oehlert is a high school counselor and president of the CEA.