One group feels that their voice has been lost in the midst of the fracas involving the Burke County Board of Education and its school superintendent, David Burleson.
The students want to be heard.
East Burke High School junior Tanner Anderson, Draughn High School senior Zach Tolbert and Freedom High School seniors Jake Walden and Mason Searcy decided to take matters into their own hands and organized a rally Friday for students from all four county high schools.
The community is invited to attend FEDuP (Freedom, East Burke, Draughn, Patton) at 4 p.m. in Freedom Park.
At least two schools' students also planned rallies at their buildings before classes start. Freedom's is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. A rally planned at Patton for this morning has been postponed.
Anderson said this afternoon's event at Freedom Park, 511 Independence Boulevard, will feature speeches from board members Buddy Armour and Sam Wilkinson, Burke County Board of Commissioners Chair Ruth Ann Suttle, Save Our Schools member Caroline Avery and the four student organizers.
If time permits, Anderson said, he would like to invite students from the crowd to share their thoughts as well.
"It's time for the students to show up and support him," Tolbert said.
Burleson has been omnipresent in the school system, showing up for sporting events, academic excellence and induction ceremonies, Tolbert said.
"I just feel like we should do something," Searcy said of the frustration students are experiencing about the board's decision to terminate Burleson's contract.
The school board refused to allow public comments from anyone at its meeting Monday when it voted on the contract or on April 6 when it began discussing the matter.
All four student leaders specifically cited the board's "disregard for students' opinions" as a motivating factor behind their decision to organize the rally.
Anderson said he wants the rally to focus on supporting Burleson and appealing to the board to listen to students, rather than to create more negative feelings toward the board.
Walden said, "I think the main thing we want to get across is that the students have a voice in the issue and we should have been represented. The school board should have asked what we thought about the matter."
The students – like many adults in the county – also want to know why the board did not offer Burleson a new contract, Walden said.
"When you see somebody who is respected that much and means that much … have his life's work taken away from him, that's rough," Walden said. "We'd like to know why, and more importantly why they wouldn't listen to students. With Mr. Burleson it was always students first."
Anderson, too, said, "The school board hasn't given any reason why they are doing what they did to him. There is nothing wrong with him. I think if there is and they know of it, they should let us – and especially him – know about it."
Anderson said some students at East Burke met on Tuesday to brainstorm ways for students to make a statement. He said they spread the word through Facebook. Also, he will be on WKVS Kicks 103.3 FM this morning to talk about the rally.
There has been some talk and text messaging about a walk-out from schools today.
Anderson said they quickly nixed it during their brainstorming session.
Searcy said a walk-out would not accomplish anything meaningful and would go against all the ideals Burleson stands for.
But even the thought of participating in a lawful after-school rally is worrisome for some students, teachers and administrators, Searcy said.
"People are scared," Searcy said, "and that's not right."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement