Dear Source,
Your article about St. Croix Central High's accreditation has really opened my eyes about the severity of the problems that are facing the school. If these issues are not addressed, how are our children going to perform academically when they decide to pursue college degrees, or seek other opportunities to become productive members of society? This type of situation should not happen anywhere, especially in a place that seems to make a habit of returning unused education funds to the federal government.
It is clear that Central High is headed in the wrong direction, so it is time that the community acts so that our children will receive a decent, quality education. To bring about meaningful change, we need to:
1. Play an active role in our children's education. Education begins at home. We should not rely solely on the schools to educate our kids – know what is being taught in the schools, and constantly seek ways to encourage our children's learning development.
2. Reject the status quo. Insist that individuals serving in any capacity of educating our children either perform to acceptable levels or force them out of those positions. Caveat: this may result in the removal of a family member, friend, or someone you think may be able to do a special "favor" for you. Reject incompetence in any form.
3. Volunteer. Make a personal commitment to improving the type of education that our children are receiving. Do something. Do anything that will make a positive change. Sometimes we think that what we can do individually is not going to make a difference, but collectively, every small effort can lead to great results. Donate time, special skills and supplies/materials that the schools desperately need. Let us stop waiting on the government to give us everything that we want or need and start doing more for ourselves. Enough of the total-dependency-on-the government mentality.
We are really doing our kids a grave injustice by subjecting them to this type of substandard education. Continued inaction and lack of concern constitute failing our children miserably. Our children certainly deserve better.
Tisha Tutein
Washington, DC
