Sienna is a lot of things but there are two jobs that she loves most, she is an elementary school teacher, and a loving mother to her son Joey. It is the first day of school and she makes their lunches as she shares her memories of Joey when he was younger. She talks about how things have changed now because they will be in the same building and Joey has made some rules she must follow so that he can be a “cool kid.” The list was simple, written with care and all items were simple and Sienna gladly made a pink swear to because you can’t break a pinky swear. Off to school, the day begins, all is perfect, and then in a flash the sound of gunshots shifts Sienna into “save my kids” mode. Unfortunately, in this moment she kept her kids save but she also had to find her son Joey. She made her way to his classroom but on the door she saw blood… the blood of a child’s small hand- what will she find on the other side of that door? This is a story that reminds us that elementary students should not be expected to render aid to their classmates, like a doctor. Teachers should not be expected to put the injured on their back and carry them to safety, like the military. The education system deserves better. A story of the love a mother and teacher has for kids and her own son. A reminder that, it would be wonderful if kids could just be kids, if they could come to school and not have to practice active shooter drills, because a pinky swear that a parent makes to their child should never be broken. We all deserve better.
