UNITY

We see a path to schools of choice that work for all students and that serve as the backbone for communities of choice that work for all families. But it is a path not easily traveled.

Despite difficulty, all that is needed to fulfill this journey is the nurturing that unity provides. And so this campaign heralds the question: what would be possible if we stood united for educational achievement? Beginning this euphoric journey requires a more rigorous understanding of what we mean by UNITY.

• Unity is not everyone agreeing. This campaign is joined by many people who don't often agree with each other. But we do agree that educational achievement is a journey worth pursuing.
  
• Unity is not forgetting the missteps of the past. This campaign is driven by results. Only through authentically evaluating what has worked and what has not worked are we able to find our next step in the journey.
• Unity is not about optimism. Though we stand rooted in a spirit of hope and aspiration, we are not naive to the potholes that will impede our journey. We are realistic about what must be done and we are invigorated by our unity.
• Unity is not the absence of diversity. We invite all people -- district residents, non-residents, citizens, non-citizens, people of color, people not of color, youth, seniors and so forth -- to stand with us. And our kind of unity asks no one to leave their individuality behind. Rather, we simply acknowledge that we are all part of the greater whole that is necessary to create educational achievement for our students.
• Unity is a potent vision both for what is possible and for what will be required to fulfill on that possibility. Rather than merely some kumbayah illusion, unity is a vehicle that provides the collective power necessary to transform what we have now into what we want -- schools that work to create educational achievement for all students.
• Collectively, we will journey through a city long dimmed by the shadows of disunity and distrust. And the warming light of unity we bring will shine brightly for all Kansas Citians.