Regarding the condition of schools in Rowan County:

I’m very involved in county activities, and as a two-time parent with a 5-year-old in kindergarten, I consider myself very experienced.

We as parents must be involved with our kids. If we aren’t, they won’t care, either. I volunteer once a week to go to my child’s class and help the teacher, so I see firsthand the grave task that teachers face.

If we as parents don’t take time to monitor homework and class projects, the kids are destined to fail. It has to start at home. That is the core basis.

I see neglect in several families where parents are too busy to take time and are affecting their children. We as parents must do better.

Recently I had a 12-year-old staying with me who was rendered homeless. She had failing grades in three subjects. Just because of my concern and counseling, she brought her grades up 40 percent in weeks. This is all that needed to be done.

If the parents will just take 10-15 minutes a day and show concern and display that they care about one of the most important things in their child’s life, we can turn this around in weeks.

— Bob Craig

Salisbury