Letters to the Editor

Let’s all stop making excuses for bad behavior

Tue, 12/26/2006 - 4:14pm
By: Letters to the ...

It is more apparent that the Sandy Creek/Flat Rock/Burch schools have gone through a societal sea change, and that sea change is minority driven.

That is a very difficult truth to deal with, especially in Fayette County, but the very culture that minorities are running from has now taken root at these schools.

If you would like to see the future of Sandy Creek High School, walk the halls and visit the classrooms of high schools in Jonesboro or Morrow or Riverdale. That is where Sandy Creek H.S. will be in five years.

Most minorities that have moved to Fayette County are as outraged and fearful over these changes as any long-time resident. Their hopes and dreams for their children are not reflected in the schools and communities they fled. They moved to Fayette County aspiring for a better education, stronger authority, and a renewed moral base for their families.

What are the answers? What are Fayette residents doing to stop this ugly trend? Are they moving out of the county? Yes. Are they moving to a different school district? Most definitely.

Some are sticking it out, hoping they can get their children through Sandy Creek before it gets “really bad.” But these are not real answers to the problems. It is time for the minority families of Fayette to stand up and demand a change at these schools.

No more explaining disruptive and gangster behavior as a cultural norm. No more using language so reprehensible and revolting that their parents would be embarrassed and ashamed. No more referring to women as mindless dogs with no self-control or modesty. No more fixing your hopes and dreams on a singing career or as a rap star.

No more letting prejudice and discrimination be an excuse for poor academic performance. No more letting their schools spiral down where test scores are an embarrassment and violence is the rule.

This is a rallying call for all minorities in Fayette County: You must be the agent of these changes before it is too late.

Name withheld
Fayette resident for 25 years

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Race is a factor, not the problem
Submitted by ole sarge on Thu, 12/28/2006 - 10:46pm.

Sandy Creek High School is fortunate in having some of the finest teachers and counselors in the area. They are led by the best secondary principal in the the Fayette School system. However, the school is ill served by a weak central office, poor parent support, and a student body that embraces a counter-culture as the norm.

When parents ignores student misbehavior and fail to recognize that their “darling child” is acting like a thug or thugette then the result is inevitable.. a poor school. When children are not required to perform to standards and expected to exceed them then mediocrity becomes the norm.

Parents cannot demand high standards from the schools if they are unwilling to accept their own responsibilities and place a student willing and expected to learn in the classroom. Parental involvement means doing the right thing, even if it hurts, not just pointing fingers and complaining.

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Interesting...
Xaymaca's picture
Submitted by Xaymaca on Thu, 12/28/2006 - 1:40am.

I am a new resident to Fayetteville so I am still just learning about the history of the area and the things that have been going on re: the school system before we got here. I have really been pleased so far with the elementary school that our 2 young children attend. It seems like SCHS gets a lot of criticism here, I'm not sure how fair that is. My "minority" family happens to value education very highly. That was a factor in choosing Fayette County in fact. In Maryland, our children attended private schools but my wife and I have felt comfortable enough to use the public school system here. I've noticed Spring Hill Elementary benefits from tremendous PTO support. Are the parents of SCHS children not as involved?
PS. It's late and my typing sucks.


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Welcome . . .
chippie's picture
Submitted by chippie on Thu, 12/28/2006 - 7:40am.

Historically, from what I've been told and seen myself: parents are usually the most involved with schools during their children's elementary years. During the middle school years, the parental involvement drops way off compared to the elementary years. At the high school level, the parents have basically nothing to do with supporting the PTSO. If they are involved at all, it's usually for their children's specific activities - soccer, basketball, band, chorus, etc.

I do have a beef when the parents do not support the high school PTSO. At our high school, the PTSO does NOT do fundraisers, they rely solely on family memberships of a small annual donation of $20. This is stretched to provide school-wide support in a wide variety of ways, some of which are: faculty & staff appreciation meals and outstanding student appreciation events several times during the year, helps provide school departments with needs, and other projects that benefit the school and/or entire student body. The PTSO also provides a scholarship to a very well-deserving student who otherwise wouldn't be considered for scholarship opportunities. All this, and much more, is accomplished with less than 20% of the total school's families' support, yet all students benefit.

One of the best ways to show our teens we parents love and care for them is by staying involved in their schools and with their activities as they grow older. They need us more than ever at this stage in their lives.

Again, welcome to the neighborhood, hope to see you around!


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How things really are
Submitted by IMNSHO on Wed, 12/27/2006 - 8:47am.

I have a non-minority child who graduated from SCHS in recent years and another who attends there now. We are not in the SCHS district, but go there voluntarily. I've also worked in the school, and other Fayette high schools. One day at SCHS I spent the time before school waiting with all the kids in the cafeteria. After observing the extreme differences in how different groups of kids spoke and interacted and behaved, I questioned my own child about how it affected him, personally. He replied that the groups don't really interact much, and he did his thing while they did theirs. I could not help but wonder, though, where were some of these kids going to go in life, talking and behaving as they were. However, it is no different at SCHS than at FCHS.

Are they moving to a different school district? Most definitely. Not my kids. SCHS is still a great school, with wonderful teachers. The Air Force JROTC program is top-notch (and the only JROTC in the county). There is so much more good there that outsiders just don't see.

(And, not that it really matters, but I am a 28 yr resident of Fayette County, myself.)

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