TAXPAYERS MUST BE ENGAGED WITH SCHOOLS

Editor, The Sun:

Back in April 2022, I wrote a critical letter regarding who do school boards represent. The letter was very critical of a potential candidate listing their virtues of their candidacy. Yet, the candidate failed to to detail any advocacy for the property tax payer. I still stand by the letter.
Since April 2022, we have all witnessed the effects of rogue school boards who abuse their role and hide many aspects of education from parents. This is the slippery slope of the community not being engaged and the property tax payer not having an advocate on school boards. When the voting and tax paying citizens delegate accountability, school boards become mere parrots and/or cheerleaders for the superintendent and/or administrators.
When we, the community, delegate accountability, bad things will happen. To reverse bad decisions or trends, school boards and school administrators will tell the public to butt out. Check out the mess in Northern Virginia where local school boards are effectively telling parents and tax payers, they have no right to know what is going on. Essentially, those local school boards have transitioned from education to indoctrination.
Rural school boards tend to be responsive. However, we must be diligent and insist best value. Instead of tax hikes, whether sales tax hikes or property tax hikes, where can costs be trimmed? We must be watchful that each school mirrors our values and excel in basic education. What benefit is there to society if a child receives an inaccurate history education yet cannot communicate properly nor can they perform basic math?
And the parents- when you go to a public school to discuss concerns, are you dressed appropriately to discuss business or are you in flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers? How can anyone take you seriously if you’re dressed as if you just woke up?
Lastly, Wakulla schools have a shortage of teachers. Perhaps creative solutions should be assessed. A school board member proposed assessing the possibility of importing qualified teachers on an H1B visa program. These teachers excel at math and the sciences, whereas as a society we are anemic. I am certain there would be expressed concerns of “lack of history” or “they’re not Americans”. These concerns would be true. However, these imported and highly qualified teachers would be math and science instructors which transcend cultural or societal distinctions.
In summary, we must enable our schools to enhance the educational process and return the investment to our broader community. This can only be accomplished by us, the community, being engaged and the property tax payer insisting on advocacy.

Robert Franco
Ochlockonee Bay