My communication is in response to a disturbing letter printed on 12/27/2006, challenging minority families in Fayette County to stand up and demand changes at Sandy Creek/Flat Rock/Burch schools, before they mimic the schools in Clayton County.

However, any problem affecting our schools becomes a community problem, and not necessarily a minority problem, as the reader would have us believe.

My initial reaction was to respond in the same accusatory and negative manner in which the writer used in their complaint. Instead, I will look at the writer’s concerns and fears as nothing more than a lack of knowledge concerning change.

You see, before we change anyone or anything, we must first begin with ourselves. I wonder if the writer has done or is willing to do anything to help with any of the problems. If I recall my history correctly, minorities have already been standing up for justice, respect, and the opportunity for a successful future, for the past 150 years or so, many times at the expense of lost lives.

As a so-called minority (I really dislike that term) of two children in the Fayette County School System, I am willing to lend a hand at the above schools, even though my children attend school elsewhere. We have a say in the future of our schools. Are there others willing to invest a little time to brainstorm strategies to ensure our schools continue living up to the high standards so many families have moved here for?

My contribution is responding to this writer’s letter and sending a copy to the Board of Education, the NAACP, the schools listed above, and the non-profit organization Factor, an organization taking the lead in recognizing that the face of Fayette is changing. Together we can make sure our schools continue living up to their reputations.

This is a rallying call for all families in Fayette County interested in preserving our schools. Contact the Board of Education and request a public forum to discuss problems at the above schools. Whether your child attends them or not, we have an obligation as citizens to ensure our school system remains one of the best in Georgia.

Name not withheld,

Rebecca Miller
Lovejoy, Ga.