The Backpack Drop Zone: One Sixth-Grade Truth That Exposed Our Quiet Crisis

doesn’t mean we stop caring.”

Tommy’s jaw clenched.

“It just means,” I continued, “we have to be smart.”

“Smart like adults?” someone muttered under their breath.

A few kids snorted. Not funny-snorts. Bitter ones.

I held up my hand. “I hear you. I do. But we are not going back to pretending.”

I paused.

And then I did something I hadn’t planned.

I reached into continue reading …