By CHRIS TREBER

Public education is not broken; but the truth is, there are those who would see it dismantled.

Standardized tests span days. An A-F school grading system beguiles accountability to the detriment of our communities. School and teacher performance is evaluated with flawed methodology that ignores broader issues.

Funding for our public schools is determined, in part, by misguided logic. A teacher shortage looms as college grads pursue careers that pay more, reward more, and don’t require them to continually defend themselves in a tumultuous political climate.

I don’t have the answers. I’m only beginning to discover the complexities of public education as an institution, and all I can say so far, based on weeks of investigation, is that I’m concerned.

First, let me be clear. Education is not a partisan issue. It is not an issue relevant only to parents and educators. It is an issue of community — of doing what’s best because it’s the right thing to do for our country. Education is a reflection of broader society, and that reflection shows a widening gap between classes.

The expansion of voucher school funding threatens to diminish funding for public schools which already struggle to do more with less.

I live in the Tippecanoe Valley district — a rural district. I don’t live in the land of abounding educational choices. My son will attend our public school unless someone builds a vanguard STEM academy next to the egg statue on Main Street and even then, my choice would be unclear as charter schools are far from proven to be any more effective than public.

I emailed Brett Boggs, Superintendent of TVSC, recently to ask a simple question. The question doesn’t matter so much as the response. I was shocked when, despite my son’s age (an old soul at age 2), he invited me to meet with him, along with the elementary school principals of both Mentone and Akron — as in face-to-face, people.

I accepted, slightly perplexed at why a simple question would require an in-person meeting. Surely there was some ulterior motive. There was. It was to leverage my simple inquiry into active involvement — to explore my interest as a potential resource. And it was that diligence — that tangible display of willingness, that hooked me. If there was any doubt about where our son would attend school, it seeped away in the 90 minutes these educators spent with me.

I told my husband after the meeting, “This is our school. We are Valley Vikings.”

I have a favor to ask. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Viking, Trojan, Tiger, Warrior, or Wildcat. Get involved. Be informed. Read. Ask questions.

Be a political advocate for your school, because it needs your involvement now more than ever. Ally with your educators because educating our nation is everyone’s responsibility if we’re to thrive. Tell legislators that our communities deserve more. Engage, rather than complain. Demand better. The stakes are high, and our teachers can’t do it alone.