Wisdom of a 5th Grade Solomon

Posted on September 30, 2009

Sojourners features 20/20 Vision for Schools’ Advisory Board member Dr. Nicole Baker Fulgham on their God’s Politics blog today. She recounts an experience as a first year teacher in Compton, CA, when a 10 year old challenged her:

“Aw c’mon Ms. Baker, nobody thinks we’re smart! If they did, they wouldn’t give us this broken down school and these ratty old books. You don’t even have enough paper and pencils for us!”

As Teach For America’s Vice President of Faith Community Outreach, Ms. Fulgham has spent the last 15 years fighting to overcome educational inequity. Why?

The academic achievement gap, in a well-resourced country like ours, is a tragic moral injustice that should move people of faith to action. As Christians, let’s take stock of how we’re working to eliminate this problem. Are we encouraging our most talented college graduates and young professionals to teach in schools like Solomon’s? Are we mobilizing our church communities to volunteer, tutor, and provide much-needed supplies to under-resourced schools? Are we mobilizing on behalf of students like Solomon to demand that lawmakers create policies that will improve the quality of their education?

The Bible is pretty clear about our responsibility. God says that all children were created in his image, so we should believe every child has unlimited potential. God says that children are incredibly precious to him. And God tells us to eliminate injustice. It’s time for Christians to take a stand on behalf of the ‘least of these’ in our nation’s low-income public schools. Solomon and his classmates are waiting for us.

Full article.

» Filed Under advisory board, education reform, nicole baker fulgham, sojourners, teach for america