With last week’s stories about Newton County School System employees and students in trouble with the law, it is nice to hear some good news about our teachers and children.

 All three of Newton County’s high schools scored higher than the state average on the Georgia High School Writing Test. Our juniors logged a composite passing rate of 95 percent compared with the state’s average of 91 percent.

 Students taking the test this year also improved the county’s passing rate by three percentage points from the fall of 2007.

 If you know of any English teachers who teach 11th grade or any 11th grade students, please take time this week to congratulate them on their success.

 Continued improvement in all subject areas means teachers and students are correcting past mistakes as well as making strides to ensure every child who graduates from our school system is prepared for either college or a career.

 Our children truly are our future, and test scores like these indicate that Newton County as well as the state of Georgia will have a bright one.