Rantings and Ravings

By Sun Advocate

Education of our children at the local level is one of the most emotional things in a community. The recent fall out from the teacher switch from Castle Heights to Wellington is just the latest example.
We endured the vitriol feelings left from the closure of East Carbon High. We have been rocked by the firing of the Carbon football coach. There were bad feelings over the course of time as teachers have come and gone and our population shifts.
In the end the personal attacks and bad feelings do nothing to improve the quality of our children’s education. I hope that people can step back and try to make the best of what they perceive as a bad choice.
This is my second time around sending kids through our school system. I have not always agreed with the direction that our school board has chosen. I have not always liked the teachers my children have had.
I have also supported a lot of the direction that our board has taken. I have liked many of the teachers my children have had.
In other words I have gone through good years with the school system and bad.
I could name names of those I have butted heads with and think are not doing the job the way I want them to. But after spending many years dealing with a variety of people in the system, I have learned that just because I don’t agree with the person or policy up front, it is not necessarily the wrong thing or that the person involved is bad.
I do research my choices for school board when it comes time to vote. I hope you all do as well. In the past I was also much more involved with the schools, such as PTA and helping in the classroom when I could.
I now keep tabs on the state legislature dealings as they pertain to education funding. I know that our local school board official was right when he said that just because the state gave more money to education, it did not mean they could use it to hire teachers.
Decisions for state money for education are weighted toward the larger population base on the Wasatch Front. Rural schools with small population bases do not necessarily have it better than the bigger schools. The daily cost to open the doors of an elementary school are about the same no matter how many children are in their desks on a morning. But when a school is given money based on attendance, the lower number hurts.
It is good to see the seriousness our community puts on the quality education of our children. We are all there no matter if our child goes to elementary school or high school. Every community is filled with parents that want the best for their child and I doubt any of them want it at the expense of someone else’s kids.
So let’s keep up the pressure to improve the education system here. But let’s also find positive ways to do it and not by personal attacks directed at other people or schools.