I genuinely appreciate everyone posting comments to my blog, even if I wish so many didn't post anonymously. As I have said before, I have a self-imposed policy of not responding to anonymous posts.
That is not because I think those who post anonymously have nothing useful to say. Rather, it is because a give and take discussion is impossible when you aren't sure the same person is responding to your statements each time. I wouldn't want to incorrectly attribute something to a person when they were not the author. So, that is why.
The only time I violated this policy was for the same reason I am posting now - I will not let false accusations of racism go unanswered. For the second time since I started writing on this subject, an anonymous poster has accused those opposed to the CES/HES merger of doing so on racial grounds. I do not profess to speak for anyone other than myself, but for me, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Just to be sure that I wasn't unintentionally sending out the wrong message, I went back and re-read everything I have written on the subject - both here and on Squeeze the Pulp. I couldn't identify anything that would give the impression that race had anything to do with my opposition to a merger or the decision to enroll my son at HES.
In fact, what I read was pretty consistent criticism of the Orange County Board of Education - a conspicuously all white body, by the way - for their eagerness to exploit the performance of HES students to hide their failure to address the needs of students at CES.
As I have a written a number of times, in one way or another, "I believe that the purpose of any school system is to provide the best possible education to each individual student given their individual abilities, talents and motivations." That belief knows no racial or socioeconomic limits.
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4 comments:
I am the woman that brought up race and I plan to stay anonymous as I do not want my children affected by anything I post. I do not believe that you Mr. Scott are racist. My statements are based upon some of the comments in emails that were being circulated and by the comments of some parents at the meetings. Actually, I believe that is a small percentage that is racist. I also believe that small percentage make the majority look bad.
I think the real issue is not race, but is social status. Unfortunately, race and social status gets intermingled. Anyway, social prejudice is just as hurtful as racial prejudice. Being stereotyped as a racist snob because your kid goes to HES really hurts, too. And this is only coming from a parent--imagine what our kids feel. I also feel your pain with this ordeal.
The answer is simple. We all need to work together for what is the best for the children of our community. Throwing out the race card is not going to do any good whatsoever. Educating parents on what the situation is at CES and HES is the better way.
I too have seen some fairly hurtful e-mails passed along. It gives me the feeling that some parents feel they are better than others. Truth of the matter is that these people are scared of the unexpected. They have no control of the situation, and they are grasping at straws.
We need as a community to come together and work as one people, no matter what our race is or how big our house is.
The racial issue will soon be leaving Orange County Schools with a little luck. Woe to Richmond County, GA Schools
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/latest/lat_060507_schoolfinalists.shtml
This afternoon, school board members named Superintendent Dana Bedden of William Penn School District in suburban Philadelphia, Superintendent Shirley Carraway of Orange County Schools in Hillsborough, N.C., and Assistant Superintendent Susan Clark of Henry County Public Schools in metro Atlanta as finalists to lead Richmond County's school system.
The racial issue was here long before Carraway was in the picture and will be here long after she is gone.
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