Editor’s note: This opinion piece was submitted to The Permian Press for publication. Readers interested in submitting an opinion on this or another local issue can visit our Submit a Story page.

Ebony Coleman is the founder and leader of Jumpstart Midland. Jumpstart Midland is a movement of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, caregivers and community members advocating for high-quality education in Midland.

My son is entering kindergarten this year.

Like parents across Midland, I am sending him to school with supplies in his backpack and hope in my heart. I hope he will be seen, challenged and supported. I hope he will learn to love reading and become confident in math.

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But hope is not enough.

Only 39% of Midland ISD children are doing math on grade level and only 46% are meeting grade level standards in reading. Even when children struggle, parents are not always given a clear answer to the most basic question: Is my child on grade level?

And this fall, Midland voters will elect three school board trustees who will help decide whether student achievement receives the urgency it deserves.

These are three challenges Midland cannot ignore: lackluster math and literacy results, a lack of clear information for parents and a critical MISD trustee election.

At Jumpstart Midland, our parent leaders are responding to each one—with our ears to the ground, our hands in the community and our hearts centered on the city we love.

First, we built a solution.

Earlier this summer, Jumpstart Midland completed Jumping Brains Academy, an eight-week, parent-led math intervention pilot serving MISD students at the Boys & Girls Club and MLK Center.

We did not create this program because parents should have to replace the school system. We created it to prove what is possible and provide evidence that can lead to systems change.

The early results were powerful. Students gained an average of 15 percentage points on assessments. More than 75% improved their scores, and more than half gained the equivalent of at least two additional math standards (TEKS). Ninety-three percent said they felt more confident in math, and every responding parent said they would recommend the program.

Parents did more than identify a problem. We built a solution, studied the results and created a proof point for what targeted, small-group instruction can accomplish.

We will release our full parent-led Jumping Brains Academy report soon, including lessons and recommendations for reaching more Midland students.

Second, we are demanding transparency.

Parents should not need an education degree to understand how their children are doing. The parent portal should say plainly whether a child is performing on grade level, what skills need improvement and what support will be provided.

Jumpstart Midland continues to meet with Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Howard and her team and press for clear, grade-level information in the parent portal.

We appreciate the meetings, but meetings must lead to action.

This is not about pointing fingers. It is about ensuring families can intervene before a small learning gap becomes a crisis. We will continue showing up and applying pressure until parents receive the clarity they deserve.

Third, we are preparing families for the upcoming MISD trustee election.

Midland needs trustees who will put children first, prioritize student achievement, demand transparency and ask difficult questions when results are not good enough.

This fall, Jumpstart Midland will engage voters and host an MISD candidate forum to ensure family voices are centered in the debate. Candidates should answer directly to parents:

How will you improve math and literacy outcomes?

How will you ensure parents know whether their children are on grade level?

How will you prioritize students with the greatest needs?

And will you have the courage to demand change when the system is not working?

On Saturday, August 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., I invite Midland families to join Jumpstart Midland’s second annual Back to School Blast at Coleman Clinic, 801 E. Florida Ave. There will be free school supplies, food, activities, resources, games and family fun.

But this event is about more than preparing for the first day of school. It is about bringing Midland together around the future of our children and discussing these important issues.

My son is beginning kindergarten with hope.

Our responsibility is to build a school system—and elect leaders—worthy of that hope.