JUSTICE | Rose Webb, Class Of 2015
The classroom is not the courtroom. Access to justice is not limited by years of precedent in case law. One moment can change the trajectory of a student’s life. One teacher can right years of generational education injustice.
Injustice in the classroom has many faces. When we choose not to practice restorative behavior interventions, that is injustice. When we turn a blind eye to students not receiving their special education services, that is injustice. When we do not advocate for proper allocation of funding for our schools, that is injustice. When we assume the worst in parents and the community we teach in, that is injustice.
Justice for all is often decided by justice for the one. When I showed up in my classroom and decided to teach my students character in good choices instead of punishment for bad moments, that was justice. When I refused to funnel kids from the school-to-prison pipeline, that was justice. When I would sit in an IEP meeting and demand that data show educational gain before a decrease in support hours is allowed, that was justice. When I partnered with parents to ensure student success, that was justice. When I became a known face in the community I served, actively dispelling negative beliefs about that community, that was justice.
Justice is not just for us, it lingers. Justice inspires. Justice promotes change. Justice is action. Justice is intentional. Justice is sacrifice. Justice is education equity.
“Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.” -Psalm 106:3
Blessed are you: teacher, administrator, coach, and mentor…who seeks justice daily in your classroom, in your school, and your community.
May the overflow of your faith in action produce justice that lingers for an eternity.
Rose Webb, Class of 2015
