The Little School Board that Could….

Okay, kids, gather around, and I’ll tell you a tale of courage and honesty that you will be sure to think is fiction, but, no, it really happened, once upon a time..it’s really true.

In the wilds of the kingdom of Canada, in the little valley of Cowichan, far, far away from the dread fortress of the evil British Columbia  Dame Crusty and her monkey minions, an election was held for School Board Trustees…this was a thankless, painful job to take on, since from time immemorial (well, the last two elections), the Earl of Abbott had been slashing and hacking the school budget with such rapacious enthusiasm that the entire education system was becoming a sad shadow of what it had once been..

In this local election, certain candidates expressed their platform as one of defiance and positivity..at least for the students and over-taxed and under-represented parents. These candidates told everyone  who would listen exactly what they would do about submitting a budget that would express the needs, and not the capitulation, of the school system..

And these brave, intrepid candidates, referred to from now on as the Cowichan Five, were elected..

And lo, they did in fact keep their campaign promises..the ones they were elected on.  Yes I know it sounds  crazy, because, kids, who ever heard of  any candidate keeping their word once elected?  But, so they did. And they submitted their restoration budget..do you know that word?  It refers to a budget that would go to restoring, not  fancy extras for the schools, but hopefully achieving what they had before all the vicious cuts…

And the Earl of Abbott was sorely overwrought, and threatened to exterminate the board, and the rest of the BC trustees, teachers, parents and others started to sit up and take notice..

And here the tale ends, and the fairytale begins, children, because all those other boards, gaining strength and courage from this little band of trustees, the Cowichan Five, began to also act in difiance of the Lord Abbott and Dame Crusty…

Okay, yeah, that part was a personal fantasy, but wouldn’t it be nice?