Next Year May Be The Year Of The Panthers
Dear Editor
With the passing of another football season, another opportunity for the Panthers to win their first Super Bowl title has passed.
I don’t know why, but I have a hunch that next season may be the one. It would be so fantastic for the whole state if they can do it!
Dayton Kingery
Innovation Or Results: Let’s Go For Results
Dear Editor,
In a recent article, Kenya Donaldson, the president of the GCAE, complimented Dr. Contreras for her focus on innovation over the last five years. I am old school but feel strongly that we should evaluate performance based on results. Innovative/New does not mean improved. So, have results improved?
Safety: Are our schools safer? Do students show improved respect for teachers, staff and fellow students? Is there less fighting? Are disruptive students dealt with appropriately?
Academic Performance: can our students read and do math at grade level?
For the safety questions, my data suggests that our schools are not safer. Teachers, staff members and fellow students are not treated with the level of respect we expect. Disruptive students are allowed to continue to disrupt. Teachers are not supported. Behavior standards are being lowered in order to chase some illusionary goal of reduced suspensions.
For academic progress, less than half of our elementary, middle and high school students are rated as proficient in reading or math (pre-covid). (It has gotten worse in the last two years!).
Shouldn’t we all be alarmed!
Isn’t is fair to say this is a failure to educate? At the same time our system touts a graduation rate of 91.4 percent. Something does not add up here! If less than half are not proficient in elementary school, why are we not intervening so the same cohort does not show up in middle and high school unable to pass the proficiency tests? Shouldn’t we ask how 91.4 percent can be graduating? Doesn’t this suggest the graduation standard is “warm body”?
I have talked to school board members Anita Sharpe and Linda Welborn about these issues and know that they are committed to turning the situation around. I suggest that we need more school board members who align with Anita and Linda if we want to have a safe environment in our schools and reasonable academic standards. We also need the next superintendent to be a person who is committed to safe schools and academic achievement for all students.
Gene Parker
Mr. Parker,
You make some very impressive points!
Remember, these are the same Geniuses that want almost 2 BILLION dollars to fix, repair, and build schools so that we can continue to get these results!
Gene, I hope your wishes come true.
Will be interesting to see the new hire.
Hope it is not a carbon copy of what we now have.
The schools can’t be dumbed down much more
Great points made! Can’t see how anyone can disagree with your letter.
Until the School Board gets off their “woke” attitude concerning the “characteristics” that a candidate posses versus actual qualifications and a track record of success, we will never see any changes. Let’s face it. The public schools are broken. Anyone can get a diploma just for attending. There can never be “failures” or “retainage” to the same grade for next year because this is viewed as simply “racist”. If I have to sell my house to pay for their tuition, my grandchildren will never attend a public school.
Regarding the Panthers, wishful thinking doesn’t get results. The disaster that is the Panthers was highlighted this year by their embarrassing themselves with the re-signing of Cam Newton, who once again, totally embarrassed himself.
Enough. The Panthers need a TEAM, not a collection of players! Then we can start thinking of them as Super Bowl prospects.
Right on point Gene. I just hope that our electorate will become sophisticated enough to elect school leaders that possess the wisdom which you demonstrate.
It’s not the money, nor is it the condition of the schools, it’s the inane management of the schools that is the problem. Educators should be educators, including those with piled higher and deeper (PhD’s). If you want to run a business, which the school system is a multi-million business, you need a CEO from private industry on how to turn around a failing system, not another PhD.
My suggestion? The school system needs to break the knee-jerk reaction from hiring an educator for superintendent, and turn to the private sector. Of course, the “education lobby” in our state will cry wolf and try to get the governor and legislature involved.
Reminds me of the old saying. . . . .When you realize you are going down the wrong road, turn around and go back.