I understand that this whole Trump as
President thing seems huge.
Really, really yuuuuuuge.
Perhaps to get some folks to understand why there is so much opposition to
Donald Trump, we need to reframe this whole picture. We need a smaller frame.
Let’s make it a local school district
and Trump is the Superintendent.
What is a school superintendent?
Here’s what I found on the blog of Anne Martens, the former Marketing
& Communications Director for Stand for Children Washington:
The
superintendent is the top executive ("CEO") in the school district.
The
superintendent implements the school board’s vision by making day-to-day
decisions about educational programs, spending, staff, and facilities. The
superintendent hires, supervises, and manages the central staff and
principals.
Superintendents
must work with school leaders -- principals -- to serve the needs of students
and meet the district goals.
The
superintendent must also respond to the demands of all the other constituencies
and interest groups in the district: teachers, students, parents, staff,
advocates, and the community at large. She or he must consider how to use the
financial and human resources of the district in order to achieve the best
results. While being mindful of competing demands, a great superintendent will
be guided by what is best for all students.
That’s pretty much what we expect
from the President of the United States, right?
So, say we have some disgruntled constituents
of a particular school district.
They think their taxes are too high and being used for quiche and
arugula in the school cafeteria, art classes, drama clubs, and other
non-necessities. They don’t think
they should pay for school nurses and gym equipment. They’ve had enough.
They’re putting their feet down.
They are going to vote out the school board and get a new school
district superintendent.
Most folks are sure that a certain female
superintendent will be elected, so many don’t vote. Also, the school district has been gerrymandered to
represent only certain views on education. A new, and surprising, leader is coming to the fore. While campaigning, the disgruntled
residents of the school district learn that this man does not want “undesirables’
to move into his district and attend his schools. He incites violence against
them during campaign meetings. He
promises to build a wall around the school and have another school district pay
for it. His followers chant, “build
the wall.” He also has been
overheard talking about grabbing the genitals of female students. Once he stated he could shoot a kid in
the middle of the school cafeteria and he would still be elected. He makes fun of the special-ed teacher
and her students. He comments on
the size of his genitals while speaking during a school assembly.
Sure enough, this man becomes school
superintendent. He vows to remove mulch and rubber
padding on the playgrounds and pave all play areas with asphalt. The schools’ boilers are all old and belch out toxic fumes. None of the schools’ windows open so
the rooms get hotter and hotter.
Crayons melt. All of the
school pets die. He doesn’t feel
there is a problem, even though the equipment can be fixed. Bullying has been encouraged, and the
school counselors have been fired so the children have no one to help
them. He appoints school
principals that are racists.
Female students are rated on a scale of 1-10 and are ignored if they
report they are groped. The new
superintendent might even sue these girls over their complaints. Subsidized tampon dispensers are
removed from all girls’ restrooms.
The school nurse has been fired.
He praises the leader of Russian schools even though he is known for
horrible human rights abuses.
Would you want this man as leader of
your child’s school?
Then why would you want him as leader
of your country?
