Addison, determined to protect him, revealed that her mom worked for the district and knew of prior complaints against the teacher. Together, we collected evidence and testimonies. The school board held a hearing. Mrs. Hawthorne was fired. Our new teacher, Ms. Danvers, brought kindness back to our classroom. Nolan earned the respect of everyone.
“Thanks for standing up for me,” he told us one day. “You stood up for me first,” Addison replied. Change doesn’t always start loud. Sometimes, it begins with one brave voice saying: enough.