Dear Governor Reynolds,

The picture of you and your grief-stricken face at the press conference in Perry on Thursday reflects the pain and shock all Iowans feel at the horror of the school shooting there. You graciously pledged at that press conference to provide the “full resources of the state government to provide support” to the Perry community for its healing.

Did you mean it? Are you sincere? If so, prove it. Prove it to the young people who all of a sudden have been forced to grow up too soon to what hatred can do. Prove it to the hurting families in Perry. Prove it to the educators there who work so hard every day to help EVERY student achieve in a safe and caring environment. Prove it to all Iowans who mourn for Perry while fearing that the same thing will happen in their communities.

You could start here:

Stop marginalizing LGBTQ students and creating a culture of “the other.” All kids get hurt when some kids are viewed as outcasts.

Reverse your decision to refuse EBT funds for summer programs for hungry kids. There are plenty of kids in Perry who don’t need to go hungry on top of everything else they’re being asked to process.

Stop the attacks on funding AEAs and the work they do to help special education students, provide crisis team supports, and help educators meet the demands of 21st century learning.

Provide educators with the resources for professional development they need to deal with bullying and students with mental health issues.

Quit your association with Moms for Liberty and its venomous and outrageous positions.

Fund a truly robust mental health system that provides quality, timely, affordable, and easily accessible help to children who need it.

Honor the federal judge’s ruling blocking “wildly overbroad” Senate File 496 (book banning and curriculum decisions) that marginalizes certain students and undermines educators’ authority and local control.

Increase state aid to public schools to support the hard work that educators do every day to educate and protect ALL kids.

Back sensible gun laws in Iowa.

Stop bleeding public schools by siphoning off their public dollars to private schools (ESA)

Thoughts and prayers are easily offered. The flags you ordered be at half staff will be raised on Sunday. Politicians wearing “Perry Strong” hoodies will soon go back to their offices, Then what?

What happens at the state level will either help or harm Perry’s healing. You have promoted a system that increasingly puts poor children, hungry children, hurting children, and “different” children on the sidelines to promote your political agenda. Now all children in Perry suffer from those actions. Stop the madness.

Troyce Fisher, Ed. D.

Clear Lake

Fisher is a retired educator who spent most of her 43-year career in administration.