Making Lemons out of Lemonade

I’ve spent the last two postings discussing school funding and based on my site visit statistics, I need to find another topic!  I began my career serving students with disabilities and was drawn to this work largely because I thought there was a need and it mattered.  I still feel that way…

This week a couple of news items caught my eye and stuck with me.  The first issue was prompted by the budget proposal from our current federal secretary of education which included eliminating funding for Special Olympics.  To be clear, her punch card for school choice, school voucher programs, and charter schools, probably does influence this public school administrator’s opinions.  Regardless, her proposed cuts to these athletes struck a nerve.  I suppose it didn’t help matters that one of my dear friends specializes in adaptive physical education instruction and also coordinates the regional Special Olympics meet within our area for students which our district serves as the host site.  The upcoming competition will have over 340 athletes with special needs locally and over 450 additional athletes with special needs from the region.  Even more brag-worthy, we will be the largest local Special Olympics track meet in the state of Texas.  This is year 14 for this local event so I called my friend and asked a couple of basic questions – you should consider supporting them if you can, https://mckinneymavericks.org/.

Q1:  Why do you do it?

I believe it’s just a lot of what the world needs and I see the impact it has on families.

Q2:  Why does it matter?

A2:  Special Olympics provides an avenue for everyone across a broad spectrum – it builds a community.

She’s right by the way.

The second issue I read about this week dealt with proposed legislation to legalize lemonade stands.  Honestly this one stumped the noggin as well.  It makes a little sense if you stick with the narrative long enough but still seems like overreach.  It turns out a lemonade stand, like any makeshift business, runs afoul of city permits and lacks proper inspection from the health department.  I get it, I guess, but I still admire the kids for their stick-to-it-ness.  You should make time to watch 8-year-old Branson Burton as he testified (on a step stool) in front of the Texas House State Affairs committee in support of legislation that would let him keep selling lemonade.  By his own account, he netted a nifty $246 profit before getting shut down.

As folks in the business of advocating for other, let’s keep advocating…