Parents, students demand program be reinstated; principal to
‘work on issue’
Morgan Hill – For the first time in 30 years, Britton Middle School students have no student leadership program, and parents and students are upset the option has been eliminated.
A lack of advisors to run the program is part of the problem, parents said they were told.
The school’s Associated Student Body Leadership Program has been an elective class students could choose to take at the middle school, and by taking it, Dronek said, students learned a lot about organization, planning and working in a group.
“This is something that has benefited so many kids, given them a benefit that they don’t get in other places, and now it’s gone,” parent Nancy Dronek said.
Britton Principal Carol Coursey is new this year, and said some of the staffing changes at the school made the program’s cancellation necessary.
“The decision was made before I came to the district,” Coursey said Thursday. “I understand the reason behind it. I certainly feel that ASB is important to the school climate. At the moment, we are working on this issue, so we can provide ASB services.”
Some parents believe the district should support the leadership program and want the program reinstated for this school year.
“It scares me that the school district doesn’t value the involvement of the children in their school as shown by eliminating ASB,” said parent Kim Schlaefer.
“Do they think the students will care about the school, teachers, principal and each other, if there is nothing in place to teach them about working together for the common good of all? If the school goes downhill, then think about the repercussions of that in our community. Mr. (Ron) Woolf, the ASB Director at Britton last year, really got those students to care and be involved, they worked together and the children were excited and proud to be Britton Bobcats.. Now what?”
Woolf retired at the end of the 2004-2005 school year, but worked with the program last year at Britton.
Parents, whose children had been involved in the program or planned to be involved in the program this year, said involvement in ASB guaranteed a variety of activities for students.
“ASB is imperative to the social well-being of our middle school children and needs to be reinstated,” said parent Cindy Thomas. “Our children are the future leaders of our community. Student involvement in yearbook, dances, rallies, lunch time activities, athletic events, spirit weeks, student and teacher recognition, etc. gives our students a sense of importance and purpose and prepares them socially for high school.”
But the benefit of the program goes beyond the social, she and other parents emphasized. The skills students learn and the positive experiences, parents said, make ASB a valuable part of the curriculum.
“Having an ASB advisor is essential for keeping our children involved in meaningful activities at the middle school level,” Thomas said. Students who are involved in school activities are also less likely to be involved in fighting and gang activities. We need to keep in mind that we are educating the whole child, not just the academic child, so they become productive citizens of our community.”
