Letter: Schools making progress into 21st Century

By: Rob Hairfield | Morganton News Herald
Published: March 18, 2009

Morganton, NC --

For several days over the past two weeks, several members of the Central Office leadership team met with every principal and department director in the Burke County Public Schools system for an hour. I also sat in on several days of those sessions.
The purpose was to identify areas where money could be saved or cut without jeopardizing the overall classroom effectiveness for our students. This was necessary due to the fact that Raleigh said our budget for the upcoming year could be slashed by some $5 million.
After this preliminary round of talks ended, another round was scheduled to further fine-tune areas of concern. So far, there will not be any teacher losses except due to retirements. The reduced-class-size ratio for K-3 will not be affected and effect on other levels will be minimized though some classes may have to add one more student. We still will be at or below the state's teacher allotment.
This board and new administrative team is proactive in anticipation of the predicted shortfall. Very few positions will be eliminated. However, the amount of money given to the schools in some areas will be reduced 25 or 50 percent. Those areas include textbook purchase, supplies and materials, and some athletic funds in the middle schools. Our funds will still be enough to cover the expense of officials for the sporting events in those schools.
This type of activity is relatively unknown to the general public. It goes on without much fanfare.
Too much emphasis is placed on things that don't really have anything to do with the education of our students, but are mainly just attacks on various board members due to resentment of anyone who tries to change anything in our school system.
There are a few people calling themselves the SOS (Save Our Schools) Committee who to date have not provided one single constructive idea or positive plan. Instead, they are intent on bashing the current board at every opportunity. They oppose any attempt to change anything by criticizing where the meetings are held, who may speak, how long they may speak and why we bother to change or upgrade any existing policies. They are content with the status quo (SOS = Same Old Stuff) – the old way of doing things that include massive excess, waste of funds and the hiring of non-productive, ineffective and inefficient personnel in key positions who have held back this system from truly being the great system it is capable of being, given all the fine people working hard on a daily basis.
For too long, this system has been run like a sideshow at a three-ring circus. The focus has been not on running an education system, but an employment agency for inept personnel who severely impeded the overall education process.
A prime example would be in the area of technology. Until the recent hiring of Dr. Angie Blalock, the technology in some of our schools was so far behind and outdated it was almost as if our students were still using the abacus instead of current, 21st-Century technology.
Our human resources department and our auxiliary services department have made significant, positive changes in the way our system now looks at problems and finds solutions in a timely manner.
All in all, given that the new board has only been in office for a little over a year, people will see the quantum leap forward our system has undergone. The road to Rome wasn't built in one day, but the paving process has begun.

Letter: Schools making progress into 21st Century

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