There is a joke in here somewhere….

What do you do when you feel that your child’s education is under attack by the state legislature? You get yourself out of bed and you get yourself down to the state house for the Joint Committee on Education’s hearing. That’s what you do.

So your intrepid education activist and a few of her friends got down to the state house, early. The hearing room was a circus. Just packed with parents and teachers and reporters and nervous energy flying around the room.

And then we waited…

We waited as the elected officials flounced in and out of the hearing with their people and fan fare.

We waited as the foundations spoke, the school committees were called, and the heads of charter schools gave their testimony.

We waited as the panels of charter school parents wearing matching t-shirts gave their testimony early in the day. I also understand they had boxed lunches waiting for them.

We waited as the unions gave their testimonies.

And we waited and waited.

The hearing had started at 10:00 a.m. But 5:00 rolled around and we still had not spoken.

And I thought, gee, aren’t we just knee deep in metaphor here.

My own state senator left the hearing. When I complained on twitter, she explained she had to pick up her kid from daycare.

Finally, after waiting hours, without food or drinks, our names were finally called in an empty room.

The Boston Public School parents.

And then Boston Public School students.

And finally Tracy Novick.

And we testified.

And we were awesome.

And we got the last word.