SLJ remains committed to the work. There is much to be done.
Scrolling through my feed, I paused on a scrum of energetic kids, all smiles in several classroom snapshots. Christopher Emdin is among them, but these go beyond mere selfies.
Emdin, the Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, is pictured actively engaging the students. Leaning in and getting down to their level to communicate with them, he is right with the kids and fully present. Turns out Emdin’s November 7 post was just the thing I needed in that moment.
“Spent some time visiting classrooms this week. It’s almost like the divine knew I would need my reserve of love and hope filled to help me through this morning,” he wrote on LinkedIn, alongside the photos. “I know many of us are disappointed this morning. Remember that the children are watching. They are taking cues on how to respond in moments like these by watching us. Do not descend into anger or worse…apathy. Disappointment is understandable, but then we get on the offense.
“This is the season where we dream and work. Don’t get baited into a cycle of despondence. Our babies are watching, listening, learning and through our work, creating what is yet to come. Never give up!!!!!! Keep doing your work!!!!”
We, at SLJ, recognize the fear and uncertainty among our readers. At press time, the full effect of the 2024 election remains to be seen. Yet the stated goals of President-Elect Donald Trump regarding education, intellectual freedom, the welfare of young people, and other issues set to affect this community have many of us deeply concerned about the future (See "Election Impact: What Will a Second Trump Term Mean for Education and Libraries?.”)
Acts of hate have occurred nationwide. Just days after the election, text messages were delivered to Black men, women, and students in at least 25 states, reports CBS News, invoking slavery, with references to “picking cotton” and plantations. Kids as young as middle schoolers have received such texts, some of which also cite the election.
The Trevor Project saw a 700 percent spike in calls to its crisis hotline post-election, according to the suicide prevention organization for LGBTQIA+ young people. “Our commitment to LGBTQ+ youth has always been about people, not politics,” wrote Jaymes Black, Trevor CEO, in a post-election message, who pledges to work with all political leaders “who share our mission of ending LGBTQ+ youth suicide.”
Meanwhile, Anne Arundel (MD) schools superintendent Mark T. Bedell called on leaders in the county to join him in denouncing the racist texts received by local middle school students “loudly and unequivocally.”
“Every single one of our children deserves the opportunity to grow up in a society where they feel they can belong, grow, and succeed,” wrote Bedell in a November 8 note to the school community. “That’s the vision of our school system, but it should be something we all embrace.”
A safe, encouraging environment for all young people—what should be a given feels like something worth recommitting to in this particular moment. It’s also something that we must demand of national leadership.
SLJ is here with you on this journey, and we pledge our ongoing support of you and your work with our work. It’s never been more critical to align with our partner organizations and leaders toward this end.
EveryLibrary has summarized the implications for libraries, a must read: "This Election Should Not Determine the Fate of Libraries (But it Might Have).
As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you. It was hard to come to work the day after, and have a cheery disposition. However, Wednesdays are my busiest day, so I pulled myself up and read, recommended, introduced kids to new stories and resources. Their joy at being in the library lifted my mood, despite the dark mood brewing outside in the culture.
I have been surprised, in a good way, at how my middle school students have continued to engage with the library and treat each other (as) well (as middle schoolers ever do). Although the past few weeks have been difficult, my students have made it easy to focus on serving their needs. This past week, I had a student who was crying at the death of a beloved character who needed comfort; several students who had previously only been to the library for orientation who stopped in to browse and borrow books; and, or course, the daily morning scrum of students congregating and communing before first bell. Seeing their engagement, interest, excitement, and connection is a daily reminder that what I'm doing matters, and that it may matter more now than ever before. They help keep me on an even keel when I feel like the world is capsizing. But if I can keep them as my focus, I know the ship will eventually be righted.
Thank you, Steve. Wonderful to here. And so important to keep our attention on the kids.
Just the editor’s note that was needed. May it reinvigorate all educators ; always toward the path of each and every learner’s needs. Thank you and all of your staff for your hard work in the trenches.
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