There is Justice

In Northside ISD, the high schools are named after supreme court justices - John Marshall, Sandra Day O'Connor, John Paul Stevens (and the Pope on that one!), etc. The 7th graders who will make up the first graduating class of a new high school are assigned the task of choosing a justice and writing an essay that highlights the justice's biography, his/her rulings on landmark cases, as well as contributions to public education.
My kids embarked upon this journey last fall through their history class where the history teachers tried to have twelve-year-olds Google, read, and interpret case law and cram it into a 5 paragraph essay (which is NOT how they are taught to write in English, btw).
Well.
Luna's top 12 papers were returned by the Deputy Superintendent for Instruction because she felt we'd be "embarrassed" if they went to the board as is, so we were instructed to have the kids rework them.
Enter the English teachers.
We spent a day with the kids helping them give their essays voice and a little life.
(Drum roll, please.)
Yesterday the board chose William J. Brennan as the namesake for our tenth high school, and I am stoked to report that one of MY kids wrote the winning essay! He is a quiet, unassuming boy who is a bright spot on our team. Though reserved, he did manage to weave one of Brennan's lawyer jokes into his essay - (I cannot accept the notion that lawyers are one of the punishments a person receives merely for being accused of a crime." Jones v. Barnes, 1983)
Since our history teacher quit at semester, I will be attending the groundbreaking ceremony in March with the boy and his family, the administration, and the coordinators.
I am super excited!
This made for a rare good teacher day!