Denial is the first stage

Sometimes God speaks outside of scripture; sometimes God laments in newsprint.

The local paper tells me that that our local district will work with 1.2 million less dollars this next year, as our student population gently grows. Did your paper say something similar?

In response to Oregon’s state budget curse, local schools are cutting 11 jobs in a heroic effort to reduce their budget by 3.5%. Last year our impoverished district made big cuts. Now we are cutting more.

3.5% cuts equals 3.5% less teaching capacity. When you fire janitors, teachers must do the mopping. When you fire administrators, teachers must do the administration. To be very clear: we’re looking at 3.5% less teaching next year.

We can try to appease ourselves by asserting that the fat is simply being trimmed and that our schools and teachers will be more highly motivated next year.. with 3.5% less.

We can try to appease ourselves.

People who are not familiar with educating today’s American youth make these appeasing claims;
People who want to believe that all students come to school equally ready to learn from safe, comfortable, balanced homes like their own make these claims;
People who try valiantly to expose the waste in the system and who don’t want to waste any of their hard earned money on schools make these claims.
People who don’t want to waste their money on kids make these claims.

Kids.

People who don’t know make these claims.

Denial is the first stage of grief, then comes anger, then bargaining, then depression, then acceptance.

The local paper tells me that the school board voted unanimously to cut these eleven jobs in the fall. I know these people on the school board – and I know that many of them have kids in these schools that will now have 3.5% less teaching capacity. What a wretched choice we have forced them into! How long will they volunteer to serve?

These schoolboard members need our praise, our prayers and our support. They also need to hear our contrition (that means feeling sorry for what we have done.) We’ve pickled them with our public policy and hung them out for public abuse with a no-win forced play. Shame on us.

3.5% less for our kids, and nearly every household in town has two or more cell phones, two or more cars, cable TV, internet, green lawns, and a pantry full of expensive, pre-packaged junkfood- And no money to spare for education. 3.5% less for our kids. . . and the list can easily go on!.

3.5% less. Denial is the first stage of grief, then comes anger, then bargaining, then depression, then acceptance.

Maybe we’re at acceptance, but I hope not- I’m (edited)!

Okay, okay. Does God speak, as I began the post, in newsprint- and if so, how?

God (of scripture) has an unashamed love affair with the children, the weak, the alien who recently moved to town, the unhealed, and the powerless. God (of scripture) twice crashed the kingdoms of God's people when they didn't share God's love with these groups because God (of scripture) can't stand having God's name being associated with societal injustice. (Check Luke 2:46-55 for a quick synopsis of Isaiah and the prophets)

God (of scripture) may not be who many voters know; it's been true for thousands of years.

When the children suffer because the parents are intoxicated with wealth and power, clouds often gather in Heaven.

Denial is the first stage.