Speaker: Tabitha Dell'Angelo
What does democracy mean to you? Why is a healthy democracy important?
Tabitha Dell'Angelo: Democracy to me means that people know their voices are being heard, that they see evidence that their voices are being heard because when people feel like um or experience a world in which they don't feel that their voices are being heard, that's when you know that sense of hopelessness can really sink in. And when folks feel hopeless and they feel like, why bother, you know, why bother voting, why bother showing up at public comment? Why bother even, you know, uh trying to make an effort to affect positive change, then there will be people on the sidelines who are waiting because why not though they're, you know, a healthy democracy and is one in which people who may have power and influence that is single minded and maybe isn't good for everyone. Those, those folks um are held at bay because they're being held to account because the majority of citizens are engaging and not allowing any one person or one entity or, or special interest groups to sort of run the show. So Healthy Democracy is one where uh people are using their voices, where they're engaged and where they are experiencing a reality where they know that their voices are heard and they know it, not just because people tell them, I hear you. Um, but because they are experience a world in which, um, you know, even if everything doesn't always go your way, you know, that there's, you know, there's, there's a path, there's a path forward for, um, for what you hope to see in our society.
Tell us your democracy story. How does it impact your life or issues you care about? How do you show up for our democracy?
Tabitha Dell'Angelo: Well, my, my specific experience is right now and for the last two years have been centered around, uh, school boards have been centered around our community and what I see as outside influences, special interest groups that are instilling fear in very well intentioned parents and community members for their own special interests in order to get them motivated to come out and vote by creating divisiveness and fear that things that are happening in schools are actually bad for their Children or harmful to their Children or potentially putting their Children in danger. And it's just not true. Um, but in, in a community like where I live, we have, you know, really, well meaning people who truly believe that Children are in danger from books. And, um, and there are definitely are outside interest groups who have told folks coast to coast which books to be mad about. Otherwise it is a really, um, a really strange coincidence that coast to coast, the same books are being, um, you know, held up at school board meetings and in communities uh as like the source for corrupting our students. And, um, and unfortunately, uh, these issues are, they're not just impacting the, you know, the, the sense of tightness in our community, but they're impacting our schools because they are in effect dero professionalizing teachers because they are sowing distrust in teachers. Um And it's just not deserved. Uh they are and, and that when you, so when teachers don't feel trusted when they are dero professionalized, um morale goes down, we are seeing that um we are seeing teacher shortages, we're seeing an extreme drop in the number of people who are even going into the profession of teaching. And the irony is that the same people who are claiming to want to protect Children are enacting practices and policies that we know from decades and decades of research are actually disruptive to positive academic and social development of students. And um you know, it's, it, everything that's happening right now. I shouldn't say everything that that's happening, but some of what is happening that seems to be um predicated on this idea that Children, you know, public schools are indoctrinating Children, which there is no evidence for um is actually, you know, pulling apart the fabric of public education and public education is super important to our democracy. And um and I am very worried that um that public education is in danger and, and that will be the, you know, the string that gets pulled, that really is detrimental. So, you know, how am I showing up for this? Well, I'm on a local school board in a large northeastern school district. Um, I am in the minority which means I lose every vote, but I still continue to show up because it's important to be a voice for people who aren't in the room. Um, and to show people that, you know, they are heard right that even if the votes aren't going our way that we don't need to give up that there are people who are like minded and who are working toward positive change and, um, you know, I will continue to do that. So, uh so that's how I'm showing up for our democracy. And um, yeah, that's it.
Tell Congress and President Biden that we need bold action to protect our freedom to vote and our democracy!
Tabitha Dell'Angelo: So my congressman is Brian Fitzpatrick. And so I'd just like to say to Congressman Fitzpatrick and to President Biden that I need you to and everyone needs you to current students, future students, public school teachers, we all need you to vote to protect public schooling um as a way to safeguard our democracy. Um There's certainly an important place for uh private schools and parochial schools, but the majority of our kiddos go to public school and public school. It is, it has to maintain its accessibility to everyone. It has to maintain high standards for teaching. Um you know, uh teaching all of the knowledge and skills that Children need to be successful and solve the problems of the world um as they get older. So, um so President Biden, I know that you are a huge uh advocate for public schools and public school teachers. Um Congressman, Congressman Fitzpatrick, I I believe you are too. So, you know, everything you could do from um protecting public schooling, uh supporting the ability of people going into this profession of teaching, which is super important. Um you know, uh uplifting the importance of public schooling, uplifting the status of teachers because, um, we just can't do it without them and we can't do it without the schools and the teachers and the support staff and the nurses and the administrators and the speech therapists and the school counselors and all of these folks who, yes, it's a calling and they do it no matter what they get paid, but guess what, they still have to pay bills. And so we've got to figure out a way to continue to strengthen the system so that it's around for a long time because public schooling and the whole system and all of the people who make that system work are all a hugely important part of safeguarding our democracy.
