EDITOR: Wes Rolley hit the nail right on the head in his recent
editorial. Trust is at the heart of the matter regarding our
current school district woes. In fact, Wes
’s article brought back many good memories of Live Oak. Having
been a teacher and coach here since 1985, I too remember happier
times and recollect the successes of such programs as Kleine
Schule.
EDITOR:
Wes Rolley hit the nail right on the head in his recent editorial. Trust is at the heart of the matter regarding our current school district woes. In fact, Wes’s article brought back many good memories of Live Oak. Having been a teacher and coach here since 1985, I too remember happier times and recollect the successes of such programs as Kleine Schule.
Wes did, however, hit his thumb when he clamed that the teachers’ union is orchestrating the current recall movement. Being the teacher with weekly letters criticizing the board, I can assure all the readers that there is no one puling my strings. Much to my wife’s chagrin, I write for free and chalk up the hours spent to my ongoing therapy. I am very much a free agent, not holding any position in the union (other than a dues-paying member). I also do not claim to represent anyone’s opinion other than my own – and it is certainly possible to find teachers who disagree with me. But of course, as Wes and others might recall, my string of letters, now over five years long, obviously predates the recall movement by a margin that establishes a disconnect.
Of course, Wes’s conclusion is not entirely from left field. The CARE group sponsoring the recall and teacher/student issues sound the same. The reason for this is not some grand scheme; it is because the issues are important, urgent and very much real.
Wes and others then might naturally wonder what it is that moves me to take on the dangerous and visible task of holding our elected officials to task. We value our ties to our community and very much continue to see great potential in our schools. However, I see current district trends under our current administration as having negative impacts on both our community and students. As a teacher and parent, I am professionally and duty bound to oppose the ill-conceived, tunnel vision, and very much railroaded changes being imposed on our schools – for no more apparent reason than building “experimental trend setter” resumes for our out-of-town administrators. I plan on living in this community for many years to come. I can oppose poor management now, or spend several of the next years cleaning up their mess. But hoping to hit bottom soon so we can bounce, I look forward to writing many positive future letters about our schools.
I’ve also had the random chance to encounter the dishonest methods of our administration first hand. Rather than relive recent history, suffice it to say that seeing their true colors very early, I have gained some insight into their unacknowledged but very real means and ends. I’ve researched their history outside our districts and am aware of the destructive path and deceptive methods that they have used before and continue to us here. As time passes, many others are catching on – including some of our board members. The recent emergence of the CARE group has energized my writing – it’s always nice to see other share your concerns.
But it is finally about trust. Trust me Wes, the teacher’s union is not orchestrating the recall – I don’t anticipate there union will endorse or condemn a process so clearly in the voters’ realm. Teachers are generally both conservative and timid in such matters. But I personally believe that if some of the concerns being raised are not satisfactorily answered, then as a parent and voter in this community, I will not only endorse the recall, but will want to know how to make a donation to CARE and what streets they want me to walk with their petition.
Glen Webb,
Live Oak High School
