Dear editor:
Ms. Kauffman, you say you are appalled at my LTE regarding the millage increase for HSSD. How did I "mis-generalize" the students? All data came from ADE. I'm sorry if the information is upsetting to you as a parent. As a parent, I was involved with my child's education and took pride in her school. However, that does not mean I turned a blind eye to data that showed falling test scores, lowered graduation and retention rates, and poor spending choices. I looked for how the money was spent. What did the school spend on average per student versus the state average?
If HSSD had better data, I could see the increased spending per student, but that is not the case here. We are failing behind with no specific plan to make things better. Making students comfortable with Zenergy exercise ball chairs encourages the "me" and "entitlement " mentalities. What is being done to make these kids ready to face the world after graduation? Are they college ready? Are they ready to learn a trade? For the most part, no. They need remediation or help in the workforce when basic math skills are lacking. They haven't even learned to be responsible for a simple homework assignment because there are no consequences in school. How about some of the staff who can't speak correctly? Fitting in with your students is fine, but at least talk and act like an adult and stop with the ghetto talk. Be a proper mentor. Employers are not giving choices on chairs to make you comfortable, the issue is, "Can you do the job?"
All schools have those that excel and those that don't; however, HSSD has too many that don't. Where is the homework? Oh, I'm sorry there is no time, because it is more important that social activities are more important than education. Or, parents who don't want to be bothered are accommodated and encouraged to continue to be "victims" and bring their children up to be victims. I have seen too many programs in this community that "feed the fish for a day" rather than teaching the skill of "fishing for life."
It is time for the entitlement programs to stop growing and the "victims" to stop whining. Time to pull up your socks, get an education and learn to be responsible. Working with youths, I used to hear from many in this town, "I don't gotta get no education, my mamma didn't go to school, so why should I?" I was the bad guy for telling these kids that education is a way for you to get ahead in life and to make a better life for yourself. Not the case here in Garland County. I guess it would put too many "do gooders" and nonprofits out of business.
I am tired of being double taxed for education -- once in the school district and again when remedial classes are needed in order to go on after high school. Ms. Kauffman, are you willing to pay for the remediation?
Sharon Parrett
Hot Springs
Editorial on 04/26/2015