Health & Fitness
Our School System??
Our community must come to grips with our schools plight. Our lack of interest in running for board seats is indicative of a serious problem.
We pay the taxes, but do we as citizens give our children what they are due? For the second time in two years, there is no need for an election for members of the school board. In a democracy voting is a fundamental right and privilege. Of course this assumes that the citizens, are interested in what the body that should be holding the elections does.
I cannot imagine a higher priority than the future of our country, which will be managed by the students in our schools today and tomorrow. There must be more citizens in this community interested in what happens than the two running for the two seats. I asked this same question last year (when we had three seats and only three candidates) what if there was only one or two candidates? Would we have to ask citizens to vote to change the constitution or by-laws of the school system because there was so little interest in the system? What if no one came out to vote even for this?
I recently read about the St. Louis firemen (who are forced to live in the city because of their jobs) filing suit for their children to attend an accredited school system in the suburbs. Our system which is one of the closest ones wasn't one they even considered. Why? It couldn't be because we constantly give lip service that we are fully accredited and yet the STATE BOARD gave us a pass this year on evaluation because it couldn't afford another majority African American district in the state losing accreditation.
Find out what's happening in University Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
There is a serious problem (in river city) and we have to address it before it gets completely out of hand, if it hasn't already. University City cannot afford for events to continue as it is. I have lived here long enough to have seen us be leaders in education as well as civil, and other rights how about STUDENT RIGHTS in 2012 and beyond. There are some families who can afford to send their sons and daughters to private schools and most who cannot. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, we pay taxes and shouldn't have to resort to the divisiveness of moving students away from their neighborhoods and friends to attend school.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND is quietly going away but I don't think this community can afford to wait. When I see districts, all around us, remaining accredited we should be doing much better, after all we have been working under the same criteria.