HalifaxTalk.com

[Tarheel]

[Grasshopper]

I am so disappointed in the school system....how come the good kids get the shaft and the little smart allecks get away with everything? It was not like this when I went....I can only imagine what it will be like when my nephew gets there...he is just in kindergarten so I am sure by then it will be all sorts of red tape bullpoop.....so sorry she missed out on this Andy.
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This message is approved by The Grasshopper.

[millworker]

Sorry for your daughter, her mom, and you, Andy. An old fashion hissy fit thrown at Mr. Paul might make you fell better.
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The lord gives, government taxes it away.

[2boxers]

[Joe]

I am sorry to hear about the problems your daughter has encountered in her senior year at the High School. I wish I had heard of it earlier. I was not able to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday as I had another previously scheduled engagement. Board members were not informed of the governor’s visit until Friday of last week. She could have gone in my place if it was a question of how many they would have allowed. In today’s ceremony opening the motorcycle academy, it was pointed out as it should be that all the programs are for the benefit of the students in the first place. They should be front and center.

As you are aware sometimes (too many times to suit me), things are done that are stated to be for one purpose but are actually done for another reason. I will look into the problem with the scheduling and the classes. I would like to see more students being able to take more truly high level courses and get the guidance they need ahead of time.

[AndyR]

Thank you, Joe. I appreciate your involvement.

I'm in the process of getting my thoughts on the entire problem into words. I plan to email Randolph, Stapleton, and the entire board when I'm done.
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A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will in time produce a people as base as itself.
~Joseph Pulitzer

[Tarheel]

[AndyR]

I apologize again for the length, but here is the email that I sent to Randolph, Stapleton, and the entire board.

I am writing to inform you all of my extreme disappointment with our school system.

My daughter, Melissa ******, is a senior at the high school. She has worked hard her entire high school career to earn the credits required to receive an advanced diploma. Knowing that this would be her last year to complete the required courses, my wife, Patricia, and Melissa met with her guidance counselor, Sharon Hicks, last Spring to ensure that she would be registered for all the required classes this year. They were assured that her choices would put her on track to receive an advanced diploma.

Last week Melissa was called to the guidance office to meet with Ms. Hicks. She informed Melissa that the Ecology class she’d been attending for almost three weeks would not qualify her for an advanced diploma. Ms. Hicks’ solution was to replace Ecology with Anatomy this semester. Melissa did not want to take Anatomy at all, so we were not willing to have her start an advanced science class three weeks into the semester. My wife again met with Ms. Hicks and they worked out a compromise. Melissa’s schedule was changed and she was placed into College Level English this semester, and in the second semester she will be in advanced Ecology, which qualifies her for the advanced diploma.

The transition into the English class has not been easy. The class had been working on a research project for some time and Melissa struggled over the weekend to catch up. She had to turn in sixty research note cards on Monday. She worked very hard and completed the assignment on time.

I understand that errors are inevitable and the job we entrust to the guidance department is huge. However, no one in the guidance department accepted responsibility for the error or offered a sincere apology. How can we expect our young people to learn to accept responsibility for their errors when their school administrators and counselors refuse to accept and apologize for their own errors?

Melissa is also in the second year of Trina Vaughan’s excellent Equine Management program. She was chosen by Ms. Vaughan to represent her class at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Equine Center held on Wednesday. I’m sure you can imagine how exciting that was for Melissa. Getting to meet Governor Kaine alone would be a huge honor, but she was more excited because it would be the first time she would represent her school at a major event.

On Tuesday Melissa was informed by Ms. Vaughan that she would not be allowed to attend the ceremony because her first block class is at the STEM Center. This decision was made by Principal Griles. Obviously she didn’t think it was appropriate for Melissa to miss a single Pre-Calculus class in order to represent the entire student body at an important press conference. My wife called to speak with Ms. Griles before the ceremony on Wednesday. Ms. Griles returned the call after the ceremony was finished and explained that Ms. Vaughan was instructed to submit her choice of students to attend the ceremony and pending her approval, she would inform Ms. Vaughan if the students were approved or not. Essentially Ms. Griles placed the blame on Ms. Vaughan because she told the students before they were approved by Ms. Griles.

My wife asked Ms. Griles if she could explain why it was appropriate to send Melissa into College Level English class three weeks late, but it was not appropriate for her to miss a single Pre-Calculus class to attend a prestigious ceremony. Ms. Griles gave no answer.

As parents, I’m sure you can understand our concern. Melissa isn’t in the top ten percent of her class, and she is not an athlete. This was likely her only chance to represent the school and to feel the pride that comes with that. The degree of her disappointment is difficult to express with mere words.

Our ‘middle of the road’ students seem to be at a definite disadvantage in our school system. Top performers (both academic and athletic) are lauded continually and troublemakers receive their share of attention, while average students working hard every day to get the best education possible so they can become successful adults are consistently ignored by the system.

I know that there is nothing that can be done now since the ribbon-cutting ceremony is long over. My hope is that you will use Melissa’s experiences and disappointments as a catalyst to re-examine the arbitrary enforcement of bureaucratic policy and instill in the administration how important it is to accept responsibility and to apologize for errors, intentional or not. As with any problem in life, accepting that a problem exists is the first step to correcting it.

Rules are important, but inconsistent and blind enforcement does a great disservice to our students and society as a whole.

Melissa has given up on Halifax County High School and is counting the days until graduation. She has great plans for her future and cannot wait to move on to college and adulthood. She feels that her chance of having a great senior year is over. I ask that you do not let this happen to another student.

Thank you for your time.




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A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will in time produce a people as base as itself.
~Joseph Pulitzer

[2boxers]

[wahoo]

[quote="2boxers"]

[bsdg]

So sorry this had to happen to your daughter, as a parent I know when something bad and unfortunate happens to our children, we suffer as well.

[wahoo]

And, your letter gave me the chills. I like it. I hope it gets the attention it deserves. If only more people would apprise the powers that be of how off-course the system is heading.

I only wish it didn't take a personal affront to get people talking and moving to make change.
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"Make it so!" Cpt. Jean-Luc Picard

I don't mind admitting my mistakes; I just think you should go first.

[squirrelgirl55]

Andy, I am so sorry. I also "felt chills" reading the letter, especially the part about how your daughter now feels about her senior year and the high school in general. This is VERY FAMILIAR to me and so reminiscent of how my son felt at that point in his "career" at HCHS. It was very much to the point that he was literally counting the days and so dispirited.

The good news is he is a junior in college and doing very well. To this day, he speaks of how bad it was over there and how glad he was to get to college and OUTTA there.

You are now a member of a club you did not want to join.,..those of us who fought and fought and struggled through the situation overe there.

I found e mails were useless, as were calls. I found I had to go take up large amounts of time and real estate, camped out in offices and hallways and STILL did not get much accomplished. Even being the squeaky wheel does not always get action.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED OVER THERE. I have seen it happen, over and over, so often...the quieter, middle of the road, yet motivated , and hard working students, get this sort of shrift. It is a sad thing.

Our son DID NOT ATTEND HIS GRADUATION. We supported him in that decision and NONE of us have regretted that for one second. It is best to finish, get that piece of paper, and MOVE ON.

Is that not pitiful and sad!? I would have never dreamed that I would have been fine with him not attending, but that is how bad it had become. We had no interest except for him to move on.
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Never ask for permission....beg for forgiveness.
Cats rule....AND, I'M WITH COCO! @/:^)

[squirrelgirl55]

I do not want to be remiss here...we did have those individuals who were wonderful and to this day, remain friends. Son has teachers from the high school that he is in almost daily e mail contact as a friend to this day.

I realized that my post might give the wrong impression that there were no bright spots. Without those stellar folks, it would have been unbearable. Those same teachers stay on and slog on. I admire those who do and do not know how they do, sometimes.
_________________
Never ask for permission....beg for forgiveness.
Cats rule....AND, I'M WITH COCO! @/:^)

[2boxers]