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TRANSPLANT: School board meeting shocker

| August 4, 2021 1:00 AM

As a cultural refugee who recently relocated my family, I was absolutely floored with what I witnessed at the July 12 school board meeting. On one hand, I was impressed with the emotional public outpouring and engagement, but I was equally shocked with how divided the board and community was. What went wrong to cause such division?

The public was demanding change on a variety of foundational levels, all while firing accusations at the board: “You lied to us,” “Did you even read what you’ve been approving,” “How can you sleep at night?”

After the meeting, I decided that I had to understand how the divide came to be. I approached a few outraged community members and asked this simple question: “How did things get like this?” The response was unanimous: “We’ve gotten complacent as a community and it’s time for change.”

In my view, the education of our children is a worthy cause that demands engagement, collaboration and our best efforts. Let’s shake off the complacency, come together and shape our children’s public education as a community! Our children need us.

JEFF ZEMBER

Coeur d’Alene