For many of us, when the TV cameras are turned off and the headlines are no longer on the front page, we have a tendency to forget the importance of certain news stories. A few years ago, the Flint Water Crisis was front-page news for many media outlets. Now, many of us have moved on to the next crisis. Yet, there is a population in Flint, Michigan that needs us to remember that the Flint Water Crisis isn’t over; it’s just moved from the waterways to the classrooms.
Backstory
In September of 2015, some doctors in the Flint area began to notice a spike in lead levels in children. They urged the city and the state to cease using the Flint River as its water source; yet, the state insisted that the water was safe. Less than 4 months later, then-Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint. This was the beginning of a comprehensive legal, ethical, and health battle that would result in lawsuits, terminations, and, unfortunately, the deaths of innocent citizens.
Lead poisoning, as many doctors argued at the time, is particularly problematic because the effects may not be immediate. According to the mayoclinic.com, “Even small amounts of lead can cause serious
health problems. Children younger than 6 years are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.”
Today
Now some 4 years later, after numerous attempts to fix the water supply system and international support for the people of Flint, Flint is back in the news. In particular, a recent study found that the number of students who require special education services in the city of Flint has increased significantly.
Specifically, there is now a much greater need for special education classrooms and educators. The numbers are so alarming that it has changed the scope of education in the city. According to Edweek:
“At least 1 in 5 students in Flint’s public schools are eligible for special education—and the school system is buckling under the weight of federal requirements and costs for providing programs and services.
The percentage of special education students has increased by 56 percent, rising from 13.1 percent in
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]
FB: @seldonwriting
IG: @tyraseldon
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