Letter: Disheartened by school administration news

Dear Editor,

Apparently, we have a problem with our school administration. To hear or read about what is and what has been going on within our schools is very disheartening to me.

Being a proud alumni of our school system from 1966, it seems we may have lost a clear path to educating our young, future adults.

My daughters and their children are also graduates of this school system, so I think I may be able to judge how our educational system has been declining over the three generations I have seen go through our schools. Some of our young people go to four year colleges or junior college and struggle and find it difficult to succeed at a college level. We should all be up in arms about that in itself!

Although, not everyone is cut our for college and might like to join a serious shortage of trades people we need to reintroduce Industrial Arts to go along with our outstanding FFA program that now includes some shop training.

Teachers have my utmost respect, they must go above and beyond what they are paid to do a job that most of us could not fathom or do. Our teachers need our support whether it be political change or demanding our school board hire the most qualified people for our school administration and teachers that will send our young people to their next level to succeed, no matter the path they ultimately choose.

To the point of my letter. It seems our superintendent would like to move on. I have spoken to a few teachers, both past and present, and have heard many opinions about what is happening within District #301, this is very disappointing to me. As a district, we must do better.

It seems we have had two school superintendents who have used our school systems as nothing more than a stepping stone to the next job. Should we try to look within next time, if possible?

I guess this brings me to how I feel, we get in this situation over and over again? Our school has many fine people who serve unselfishly and give up their free time to help our schools and our young people to better futures. I know many of them, and the last two elected are two of the best people for the job. My opinion is our school board needs a friendly remind that our school superintendent is their employee and should be led by our school board. It seems that we have let our superintendent have too long a leash. Letting a superintendent bring us to financial disaster and another have a grievance filed against him, shows nothing but lack of leadership. We are losing too many excellent teachers to let this continue.

Not everyone will agree with my analysis but it is my opinion. My hope is that future alumni of this school district will succeed beyond their greatest dreams, and I believe it starts with a new dialogue that will bring District #301 to be the highly respected district it used to be for more than just a great football tea. Which I support with great passion!

Thank you,
Larry Bean
Tuscola