Parents should be paying attention to kids’ education 

As someone who’s job revolved around school attendance in my 15 years as a date manager for RSS, I completely agree with Karen South Jones (“Tap into family power,” Oct. 1).

I tried my very best, the last three years at Knollwood Elementary under Shonda Hairston, to get through to these parents. On some occasions I would speak to them as a parent and not a school employee to try and make them understand the importance of  good attendance. It’s sad to say but I could see a dropout walking at the elementary level. The students at SHS hated me because I didn’t coddle them, I told them that they “need to get your butt out of bed and get to school.”  We even went so far as parking across the street from school to keep students from leaving campus prior to first period. You can only imagine how surprised they were when I would get out of my car and tell them not to step off that curb.

Parents had all sorts of excuses. Some parents didn’t even know their child had failed and was retained because they never looked for report cards. I graduated 40 years ago and we had four report cards a year back then. I cannot imagine not seeing my daughter’s report card.

Let me tell you, this was not just a poverty level problem; it happened in middle class and upper middle class homes also. It doesn’t cost money to pay attention to things pertaining to your child’s education, not one red cent. The best part is running into some of those students now and having them tell me “ thank you, now I understand.”

— Vickey St. Lawrence

Salisbury

A failure of capitalism

In response to Ms. Zimmerman and others, the poor cannot be blamed for their circumstances, and the school system cannot be blamed for their poor funding. The system of capitalism as it is presently situated can be blamed for both. The rich at the top keep getting richer and the poor get poorer, as the old saying goes. And it is true. Looking at the recent recession, the wealthy big businesses kept rolling in profits, but these profits were not rolled over into higher wages for their poor and middle-class workers. Look at the huge wealth of the Waltons of Wal-mart and how their workers fare; many of them have to count on food stamps to keep their families fed. The public school system is poorly funded because those with the wealth do not care to adequately fund it. No, we cannot blame the poor nor can we blame the poorly funded school system for the lack of support they receive. Blessings to those who are able to overcome their poor circumstances and rise above it.

— Pat Bullard

China Grove

New programs at Overton

We are very excited to have GeRita Walden as our new principal at Overton. She has already brought a new updated look to our school and she has lots of fresh, new ideas to enhance learning for all Overton scholars.

We want to support her vision by raising funds to complement learning at Overton with new enrichment programs such as: after school clubs, scientist assisted experiments, interactive history talks, musical/artistic performance opportunities, creative community partnerships and extraordinary field trips, just to name a few. These types of dynamic educational experiences will engage and enrich core-learning skills and provide our students with firm foundations to develop lifelong interests/careers and become successful problem solvers and higher-level thinkers.

Research has revealed that student participation in a variety of enrichment programs: increased positive attitudes toward learning, decreased behavior problems and motivated continued study in enrichment topic areas.

Overton students come from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences but a large population of our students do not have opportunities to participate in high quality, enrichment programs which often involve a fee.

Please help support Overton to provide an innovative approach to learning with new enrichment programs. The result will be more local students who are well prepared for the future, more engaged, and proud of their scholastic accomplishments.

To donate, please make checks payable to: Overton PTA

1825 W Park Rd,

Salisbury, NC 28144

— Lori Goodnight (Overton parent)

Salisbury

 

Gun laws aren’t the answer

Unless I missed it, just two days after nine people were killed in Oregon by a shooter reportedly targeting Christians, there is no mention of the event in Saturday’s Post. I truly believe (and recent history has shown) that had it been reported that victims were selected because they were black, Muslim or homosexual (all equally tragic), it would be front-page news for a lot longer than just one news cycle.

Rather than calling for more gun control laws, Mr. Obama would save more lives if he were to use his bully pulpit to advocate for elimination of gun-free zones where background-checked, legally carrying, trained gun owners are prohibited from being able to respond, and potentially limit the magnitude of such situations.

— Tim Deal

Salisbury

Lessons for survival

I keep passing by these bridges named after state troopers. Somewhat curious, I looked them up. Wow. Sixty-two N.C. state troopers killed since 1929. Fifty in Virginia and even more in South Carolina.

A Virginia state policeman was run over by a bus. Two N.C. state troopers were shot to death in two separate locations by the same guy only 30 minutes apart. A South Carolina trooper stopped a car for not dimming headlights. A gun fight ensued, resulting in the trooper’s death. This is beyond stupid. This is insanity from a galaxy far, far away.

When confronting a lawman with a gun, the confrontation is multiplied by a factor of 100. I, for one, was surprised at how many were killed with their own weapon. The Queensberry rules of engagement may not apply. A few of these officers may seem a bit on edge. I know I would be.

It could be beneficial to some of the less enthusiastic students in high school to be given a class on how to be a criminal. It would be a risk vs. reward type of thing. Don’t attack someone over a pair of shoes. Just go to the store, try a pair on and run out the door. If ever arrested, just quietly acquiesce. We’ll get you a lawyer; you’ll be out before you know it, and you won’t have to look over your shoulder. We’ll be listening out for the new curriculum.

— Stan Berkshire

Salisbury