What’s really happening in our school system?

Opinion

June 19, 2008

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Anonymous The Daily Southerner Thu Jun 19, 2008, 11:00 AM EDT

As parents of children who attend Edgecombe County Public Schools, we applaud everyone that has worked hard on the laptop initiative. But Edgecombe County Public Schools have greater problems that are occurring in our school system which require attention from the school leaders!

A prime example: Updating the out-of-date technology at the high school level. Not only to prepare students for what will face them in higher education but to complete quality work requirements both in school and in the real world. It is the opinion of many students, parents and teachers that the technology that is being provided today simply out of date. Edgecombe County Public Schools is so far behind many other school systems that provide services for students, parents and staff to communicate effectively and monitor the level of student productivity that is being displayed.

A recent issue with the Tarboro high School yearbook is a prime example of what kind technology we have in our schools. Anyone who has viewed this yearbook would clearly agree that it is "nothing" our students can look back on and be proud of.

Stated by the adviser for the annual staff at THS: "The amount of problems that we have had this year with technology is unbelievable."

Come on, we are in the 21st century and there are thousands of programs available on the market that could have been used; avoid the embarrassing and disappointment of the yearbook fiasco. This is no excuse for not producing a quality yearbook with the level of technology we have today. Just reflect on the level of technology 25 years ago and still schools were able produce a year book that students could be proud of and want to share with their kid and grandkids for years to come.

Once again, we must ask the question, What is going on with the administration in our schools?

If you look at this high schools yearbook; you can tell there was no supervision. There were two seniors who were completely left out of the senior class section. Even after a parent elected to purchase a full page ad in honor of her child's accomplishments. However, they had no problem including pictures of senior students posing in extremely short shorts and tops that were extremely revealing, mind you, they are prohibited in wearing these items to school.

Yes, I am talking about senior photo section of the book. What a disgrace. What happened to the traditional senior pictures; shouldn't they wear drapes and suits or caps and gowns? Maybe not since this is the 21st century.

The yearbook staff at this school made the yearbook a tribute to themselves.

Every other page was a picture of yearbook staff members and their friends or with a popular teacher. Speaking of teachers; over half of the teachers did not even have their picture made to put in the yearbook. If they can't feel proud to put their picture in the yearbook; then why should the students feel proud?

The frustration, that we as parents are feeling, is that no one can see what is happening with our kids and with our schools. One person alone can not make things happen. Support from Central Office and the Board of Education is what our schools need. We have been told there will be changes next year; but day by day our students keep falling deeper in the cracks of the system. When will Edgecombe County realize that our school system is not in the 21st century? Laptops or any other type of technology is not going to help if there is no supervision.

Graduation Night at THS: Where is the honor and respect these kids deserved? Every child worked hard to get to this point and each child deserved the same respect from the parents, staff, friends and community. Graduation should be a time that is honored with class! Not as a Friday night football game! We as a community should be embarrassed with our behavior.

Parents, what is happening in our schools? It is time for us to stop relying on the system to produce quality young adults. We "must" get involved with our children's education. They are the future leaders of the world! We may not be able to put God back in the schools, but we can put Godly students back in the schools with pride and honor for themselves and for others.

Robbie Rogers and Carol Ruffin

Tarboro

Text Only

Opinion

'From the heart of Stone"
With Black History Month beginning, I reflected on my favorite black writers. "Back in the day," when I was a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, I took the first Black History class ever offered at the school.
It was there that I discovered the works of Richard Wright, Eldridge Cleaver, Malcolm X, James Baldwin, and Julian Bond. Over the years, the writings of James Baldwin took on a special meaning when I started working at an alternative school. I re-visited some of Baldwin's work, and exposed students to it.

February 3, 2012
Weekly Poll
Participation in the weekly poll is entirely voluntary. “Results” reflect only the beliefs and opinions of those that choose to respond to the question. They can not be projected to any identifiable area or group of people.

January 27, 2012 1 Photo
‘Welcome to Tarboro - your electricity’s been turned off”
When I returned from Paris last May, I was a little stunned to come into a warm house. Not seeing the red digital light on the stove, I could only think: “oh, shoot, I neglected to pay my utility bill before departing.”
Before I could put down my purse, it was “off to the races,” and I immediately hopped in my car, and drove downtown to the Town Hall to check it out.

January 25, 2012
Being Conservative
I’m conservative. Basically it means to conserve what you have and work hard to obtain more to conserve. It means to take care of your family and to help others in need. I was raised to be conservative. I was born in the middle of the Great Depression and my Dad and Mom went through it. To get through it they had to conserve.

January 23, 2012
Weekly Poll
Participation in the weekly poll is entirely voluntary. “Results” reflect only the beliefs and opinions of those that choose to respond to the question. They can not be projected to any identifiable area or group of people.

January 20, 2012 1 Photo
Weekly Poll
NEXT WEEKS POLL
www.dailysoutherner.com

Do you feel that the Town of Tarboro should draft an ordinance making it illegal to fail to clean up after your pet?

Participation in the weekly poll is entirely voluntary. “Results” reflect only the beliefs and opinions of those that choose to respond to the question. They can not be projected to any identifiable area or group of people.

January 16, 2012 1 Photo
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
On Dec. 29th, 2011, the Daily Southerner had an article concerning a policeman crossing the white line and hitting another car. Evidently the policeman was not even reprimanded.
On Oct. 25th, 2011, a policeman stopped me on Howard Ave. and was very vociferous before the encounter was over the policeman was screaming at me. He stated that if I told anyone about this conversation he would see that I would lose my license. Also, earlier in the month or late September another officer stopped for running a red light, plain and simple. Both officers brought up the fact that old people suffered from dementia. I called the police dept. and talked to their supervisor about these conversations. He appeared not to condone their actions too. Both officers seem to think that because I have a web site, it seems to be problematic and it should be for Edgecombe County. But it is not for the police dept. to incriminate me because I have a web site. (www.cohiec.org). Or it is not for a policeman to say I suffer from dementia without a diagnosis. The medical profession and some of the law enforcement officers just perplexed at the old people and incapable of being able to have decent judgment, if I got a ticket and had to take the driving test again, the police officer should have to do the same thing. After all, I did not hit a car.
Janice Price

January 11, 2012
Weekly Poll
NEXT WEEKS POLL
www.dailysoutherner.com

What is your reaction to the North Carolina General Assembly's midnight session?

Participation in the weekly poll is entirely voluntary. “Results” reflect only the beliefs and opinions of those that choose to respond to the question. They can not be projected to any identifiable area or group of people.

January 6, 2012 1 Photo
Books for Kids
It seems like only yesterday my son was being born. Now he is four years old and it‚Äôs time for us to prepare for him to start kindergarten next year. Recently my wife and I toured Rocky Mount Academy to

January 6, 2012
Flip flopping politicians
There’s been a lot of talk recently about Flip Flopping politicians (this should not be confused with putting a politicians in a frying pan and flipping them like a pancakes) although this might be an OK idea. In this column I’m not writing about any particular politician.

December 28, 2011
More Opinion Headlines

Opinion

Search Results

What’s really happening in our school system?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Site Map