School redistricting still an open issue
(The Stokes News) - To redistrict or not to redistrict? That is still the question facing Stokes County School officials. At a Board of Education meeting on the morning of May 28, Superintendent Dr. Stewart Hobbs pledged his willingness to do his best to help solve the issue positively. “It is my job,” he explained, “to make sure every child is afforded an education in an environment conducive to learning.” He also warned against allowing this controversial issue to divide the county. “We have good schools in this county,” he said. “We cannot exacerbate the ‘right and wrong side of the tracks’ mentality.”
Hobbs cut to the quick of the issue by questioning, “Why are we doing it? Is it because classrooms are overcrowded at West Stokes? Is it for athletic realignment? Are clean feeder patterns or community schools a priority?” Then the Superintendent addressed possible alternative methods of solving the problem—rescheduling of classes or more teachers, for example. “There are different ways to skin a cat,” he philosophized. “We must weigh all options.”
Board Chairman Steve Shelton admitted that the officials are “between the proverbial rock and a hard place. . .but if you wait until a problem manifests itself, you can’t fix it.” He confessed to being “soft-hearted” toward those who oppose redistricting but said that he could make a tough decision if need be.
Hobbs cut to the quick of the issue by questioning, “Why are we doing it? Is it because classrooms are overcrowded at West Stokes? Is it for athletic realignment? Are clean feeder patterns or community schools a priority?” Then the Superintendent addressed possible alternative methods of solving the problem—rescheduling of classes or more teachers, for example. “There are different ways to skin a cat,” he philosophized. “We must weigh all options.”
Board Chairman Steve Shelton admitted that the officials are “between the proverbial rock and a hard place. . .but if you wait until a problem manifests itself, you can’t fix it.” He confessed to being “soft-hearted” toward those who oppose redistricting but said that he could make a tough decision if need be.
posted by BP News Bureau | 10:48 AM
2 Comments:
From The Stokes News:
All Stokes County children deserve a wonderful education in an environment conducive to learning. Any child should be able to have foreign languages, AP classes, or join a swim team without leaving the physical boundaries of their campuses. Resources should be allocated equally in all elementary, middle, and high schools. My only question, is that happening? Before Dr. Cartner left he was trying to move our school system forward and provide great schools for all kids. Our county must have all schools at capacity before we will get money from the state to build any new facilities. How can we justify not having South Stokes at capacity? Don't South Stokes students deserve a school with a wide variety of opportunities and resources. May I ask why is their so much resistance to merging and blending the two schools together? I hope the motivations are not more nefarious than what is being said out loud. The simple fact is the numbers tell the story and we can not pour all resources into one side of the county and one set of students. We need to make the schools equal and therefore as equally attractive to prospective families. The community from all over the county is watching the decisions made by the school board not just the vocal parents at the meetings. I hope the school board will keep the needs of all students in mind when making their decisions not just the students that live near them or happen to be family friends.
Oh please...
This is such a foul-smelling load of kumbayah BS, I literally got nauseous half way through it.
This sort of ill-defined merit in which one group or another, in this case children, come to "deserve" some benefit of the collective is the same poor excuse the left has used for picking our pockets for more than a century. As well, it appeals to some imaginary equality without bothering to define its boundaries, much less defend whether it is either attainable or even desirable.
In short, it is a maudlin emotional appeal, which is what every apologetic or argument on public education reduces to in the end.
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