2012-13, the school year before the water crisis began, to 20.5 percent last school year.”
As a former educator, I can tell you that this increase in special education services over such a short period of time is staggering.
So, what can you do to help the children in Flint and other communities who may be exposed to varying degrees of lead poisoning? First, be aware, help spread the word and educate others. The CDC has an amazing lead poisoning prevention resource that can be shared electronically and on social media.
Next, identify your elected officials at the local, state, and national levels. Reach out to your local lawmakers—see what your state is doing to measure and abate lead levels in the soil, schools, homes, and water supplies. Next, consider contributing to grassroots organizations that are vested in the long term healing of communities like Flint.
In many ways, Flint, Michigan has become a lynchpin for the potential long-term effects of lead exposure in children. As we think about the children and their parents, it is worth noting that lead poisoning affects children of color and poor children at disproportionate rates compared to their peers. Let’s do our part to make sure that this crisis never happens again.
Tyra Seldon, Ph.D. is a former English professor turned writer, editor and small business owner. Passionate about the English language and the craft of storytelling, she launched Seldon Writing Group, LLC in 2011. Dr. Seldon has worked with education tech companies, celebrities, aspiring writers, entrepreneurs, media outlets, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies to develop their written content. When she’s not writing, she’s traveling the world, one continent at a time. She can be reached at [email protected]
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