To the Editor:
I enjoyed your Editor’s Pick of the Week. As a former ORR employee, it was interesting to learn how Dr. Frangos’ early experience teaching during forced busing in Boston shaped who she is today.
At ORR, and part of the Administrative Team, I had the opportunity to see Dr. Frangos’ dedication to academic excellence every day for two years.
Those days in Boston during busing were frightening times and though they cannot be compared with the terrors recently experienced in school shootings, Dr. Frangos described to me that she and her students had rocks thrown at them as they entered or left school each day. During busing, school was the only peaceful place kids could count on.
Additionally, your other article about the new curriculum diversity affected me deeply as I had just finished watching “The Abolitionists” on PBS. After watching the story of African Americans, I cried at its conclusion. From my surname, you can tell that I am of Irish Catholic heritage. I am currently studying the abuses to my own culture in the early 1900s when Irish orphans were whisked away to New Hampshire farming towns and forced to convert or die.
Your article showed the benefits of putting curriculum in the hands of students and teachers. It allowed the story of human change and suffering to be present, how history causes us to consider that we can create a civil, peaceable society. And most of all, teaching us empathy, which is the key ingredient for enlightenment to a higher level of humanity. I think the lessons brought forth from the Civil Rights movement wanted teachers and students to be resilient, thoughtful citizens during difficult times and to dedicate themselves to others.
With Dr. Frangos’ inspirational direction, that resiliency, critical thinking and service to others will be a part of all the ORR communities, and any others she comes in contact with in the future.
With Highest Regard to the ORR School System,
Stephen P. Murphy