Letters: Anger at JCPS is justified, yet misplaced. We must work together as a community

Following significant transportation issues for Jefferson County Public Schools on its first day of school, community members sent Letters to the Editor to The Courier Journal expressing their disappointment and dismay. We have also heard from readers encouraging the community to rally behind JCPS to help provide solutions. Here are a few of those letters. JCPS has canceled school until at least Tuesday. If you have something more to add to this conversation you can email Bonnie Jean Feldkamp at BFeldkamp@Gannett.com or submit a letter here.

Calm down, people!

Your indignation and your anger will not help get the school buses running on time! Nor will hysteria help the bus drivers or the bus route planners!

And do you really think your ranting and raving is going to calm your children —so they can settle down and learn when they are in the classroom? Isn’t that the point of all this planning? Quit thinking about suing someone. Quit thinking about firing someone.

You can say to yourself, “This woman doesn’t understand, these are very different times.“ Yes, there is a lot of genuine fear and concern in Louisville right now. And you are correct to be concerned for your children.

But consider this: My children were riding school busses all over the the city in the mid-1970s—the first years of court-ordered bussing. That, too, was a period of great tension and concern.

But we did it, we worked hotlines, we helped in the schools and we monitored the bus stops. We stood on corners to direct bus drivers.

Let’s try to ease the school administration’s burden by working with them, not against them, whenever we can.Try to figure out a way to help, at a bus stop, at a school or at home.

Mary Hardin, 40205

Anger concerning JCPS transportation is fueling Kentucky anti-public school legislation.

JCPS employees and the community must work together as a united front to protect Kentucky public education. The justified, yet displaced anger toward and among JCPS employees concerning transportation is fueling Kentucky anti-public school legislation. This makes the largest district in Kentucky vulnerable to division, charter schools and privatized education, which will actively disempower employees and deprive underserved students of the equitable education they deserve.

The recent failure to safely implement new start times and keep students in school proves that elected officials are passing legislation without our children, JCPS employees, or community in mind. As a united front, we will demand that JCPS employees and the community have direct input in district wide transportation decisions, and that bus drivers are given the livable wages and safe working conditions they deserve. Together we will protect and ensure the right of all children in JCPS and Kentucky to a free, high quality public education and safe transportation to the school of their choice regardless of their race, gender or socioeconomic status.

Brooklyn Smith is a 5th year elementary music teacher in Jefferson County Public Schools and Jefferson County Teachers Association representative.

First day transportation is an opportunity to learn

The first day issues with transportation at JCPS were unacceptable, and as certain coaches will say, not a loss, but a learning situation.

Its time to remodel JCPS for the 21st century, and please not by the design of rural state legislators who have no clue how an urban district functions.

It's time for business, community and local political peoples to come together and do a rebuild. Louisville is much more a melting pot than it was in 1975, the solution has to work across the county.

We have some smart people and really good tools at our disposal, especially with a certain company's expertise at moving things. We have a problem, let's get the community together and solve it together.

Daniel Shaughnessy, 40218

I am proud of JCPS

I commend JCPS and our superintendent's leadership for practicing what we have been taught and have strived to do as educators in this district for decades.

• Being open-minded and innovative in making our schools, classrooms and educational and school choice systems more diverse, inclusive and equitable.

• Risk-taking in trying something new for the benefit of our students, and, although it did not succeed, we are resilient and we are prepared to do the work to fix it

• Being principled by taking responsibility and being accountable

• Communicating direct and calm messaging even when the public has escalated

• Caring enough to show vulnerability and our human side on occasion, especially when it comes to protecting our families

• Reflecting and revising plans constantly

I am proud to be a part of one of the most innovative and progressive districts in the country, and I feel fortunate to work at JCPS and have my kids attend school in such a dedicated system from the top down.

I am grateful for all of the work they are doing to ensure the best possible education for all of our children this year and all years.

Nicki Marzian, 40205

Bring back resides schools

I am a 39 year teaching veteran who is retired from JCPS and the Catholic schools in Louisville. My children, grandchildren and great grandchildren have attended schools in both systems. While I'm very disappointed that there were many serious issues with JCPS busing last year and on the first day of school this year, I'm appalled at the vitriol expressed by so many against the school system. There are threats of lawsuits, plans from the state legislature to break up the system, calls for removal of administrators, endless harangues by the media, etc., etc., etc. We live in a culture where everyone is an expert and everyone wants their individual needs met immediately and in full. I believe our superintendent and the board have tried valiantly to do just that, but it's an impossible task. Reality needs to set in. We need to return to the days of children attending their resides schools and parents providing transportation if they choose to send their children elsewhere. We have a world class superintendent and can have a world class school system if we all work together calmly, supportively and constructively.

Linda Arnold, 40241

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Misplaced anger at JCPS fuels Kentucky anti-public school legislation