Dear Editor: Let me first say thank you so much to Newton County Board of Education for helping put sports back into the middle schools and I would like to apologize for thinking that the board was just letting us talk at Alcovy. When I came to that first meeting, I didn’t think anything could be done. However, I wanted to teach my son that if you truly believe in something, you should do whatever it takes to fight for it. I wanted him to know that there is a right way and a wrong way. Then after coming to the work meeting I got a different outlook of the budget and what you all have to weigh and the decisions to be made. It made me think a little differently. I could see the pain in your eyes when I spoke and it meant a lot to me when some people on the board misunderstood me and another one of you took up for me and cleared my wording up to them. It means a lot to see one of you that is being praised for voting one way tell the parent that was not me. I saw the pain on Dr. Whatley’s face as well. See, I am not a college graduate I am just your everyday run of the mill mom who only wants what is best for her child. Some in the public believe that I would choose sports over teachers — that is not true. But I do believe that I can only speak from the heart on what is affecting me and my son at this time, and sports it was. I left saving teachers and parapros to the parents their loss currently affects. When I left Alcovy that Tuesday night, I still did not believe any of you were on our side, but attending the work meeting and then the regular meeting I have come to a different conclusion as I saw tears in your eyes and concern on your faces. I don’t think I would ever want to sit in one of your chairs and deal with the stress of 20,000 kids’ future and teachers’ lives. What I am trying to say is thank you to each and every one of you. You have been criticized and looked down on, and now you have been praised by me. 

 

I wish everyone would visit the Board of Education website daily. Then they would not say, “Well, I didn’t know about a meeting whether it be working or regular.” They can get a lot of information from both meetings. I am not saying I will attend both meetings every month, but I will be at [at] least one of them. I will not let something get past me a whole year before I start letting others know. Who knows if we would have started just a little earlier the things we could have saved? 

 

Anyway, to my question: is the Clements Theme School over, or is there a chance the vote will be overturned? See, I have a son in Quest at Veteran’s. There is no way I want him to leave there as he is doing really well, and I love the school and teachers.I want Clements parents to know that if they would get involved with their students’ new home school the way they have the theme school, it will be a success. Next year we have been told that math, English, science and history will all be Quest for the advanced kids. So our system is trying, but we have just started so please give us a chance to be a whole and not pick and choose and let public education do its work with our help. 

 

There are still things that I totally do not agree with, so after the budget I will start addressing them. As of right now, I am honored to have my child in a Newton County School.