It is no secret that my kids go to private school and that we love their school.  It is also no secret that I myself am a liberal–I freely admit it.  I don’t think life is about amassing personal wealth and I don’t think that the goal of a society should be to protect individual wealth.  Who the hell does that help?  Individuals and I know that those of you who are wealthy might have a different take, but I don’t think so.

I hate that I live in a country that has cities like mine—I love my city, but hate that if I want my child to have a GREAT education then I have to send my kid to private school.  I am lucky that we have the means to do it.  I’m lucky I have a spouse willing to sacrifice nearly everything fun in life to pay for private school.  But we are even luckier to be part of the community and family that is The College School.  We wouldn’t be able to send our kids without a little financial aid–we just couldn’t afford full tuition– we have too much debt and student loans.  Education is expensive and anyone who says that good education isn’t–is not being completely honest.  It takes a lot to education children well–you have to pay more for great teachers and great materials and experiences.

The schools biggest fundraiser each year is an auction–silent and live.  It is a really nice night–dinner, drinks, and socializing.  I went last year and it was really great and the feeling and sense of community in the room was amazing.  But it didn’t hit me last year like it did this year.  The beauty of this community.  The highlight is usually the donations to the unrestricted endowment–money that last year was used to buy a secondary campus and to renovate the little gym into the theater.  Money that keeps the school amazing and allows for my children to get a one of a kind education.

The auctioneer starts with asking someone to donate $10,000.  He asked last year on a bit of a lark and someone did–so that is where he started this year and another family did.  then he asked for $5000 and 6 families donated, then $2500 and more families, then $1000 and more families, etc.  $80,000 later everyone in the room who could donate something did to the endowment.  What is nice is that the $50 gifts were met with the same applause as the $10,000.  If it wasn’t for people who paid more, then people like us couldn’t pay less.  If I had more, I would pay full tuition so that someone else could get our financial aid, but I am glad that the aid is available for us.

I don’t understand why those in power–okay I’ll say it REPUBLICANS–I don’t understand how they can’t see that.  We are all people wanting the best in life for our families and children.  I am not getting something for free-we still pay a lot for our kids to go to school but not as much as others.  It really is about shared sacrifice and I think that is what makes me the most mad about this nation is that we have lost our sense of community.  It has become the top 1% versus the bottom 50% and that just isn’t right.  Over the last 10 years the average salary of the bottom 50% has grown by less than $1.00 but the income for the top 1% has grown by 400%.  That just doesn’t seem fair or just or right.

I am proud to be sending my kids to a school where everyone is treated the same regardless of what they pay.  That no matter how much or how little one gives or even at all, everyone is valued the same.

Why can’t Washington see that?