Dear editor,
In an email published by the LaGrange Daily News on Feb. 10, 2012, Troup County School Board hopeful Dariel Daniel encouraged other school board challengers to focus on the negative. In his email Daniel stated, “As you know, the more negative things people read about TCSS the better off we are. It will also be a chance to get your name out.” Ironically, Mr. Daniel’s wish for a focus on the negative has come full circle.
As a former teacher and administrator for the LaGrange and Troup County school systems for the past 29 years, I would like to commend Sheila Rowe and our present and former members of the Troup County Board of Education for their support of our students, our teachers and our administrators.
I would like to offer a positive word of support and appreciation for their leadership in what I consider to be three of the most important areas of school system administration.
First and foremost is their support of the efforts of system and school administrators to provide students and school personnel with a safe and secure learning and work environment. Despite allegations of “unsafe” schools by several BOE challengers, schools in Troup County are as safe as any schools, public or private, and much safer than most public places we frequent on a daily basis. In many cases students are safer at school than they are in their own neighborhoods.
Critics base their unsafe school assumption on discipline data reports that include the number of disciplinary referrals addressed by administrators in each school. Unfortunately, disruptive behavior in the classroom is nothing new. However, any attempt to connect disciplinary referrals to school safety is unfounded.
Disciplinary referrals are an indication that teachers are identifying disruptive behavior and are following protocol in having it addressed by school administrators. Administrative handling of disciplinary issues according to protocol ensures that disruptive behavior is addressed properly.
Discipline data from schools in the TCSS are indicators that proper discipline is expected and the discipline behavior code is being enforced. Discipline issues will always be part of the school setting. When data suggests the contrary, I will be the first to question what a school is doing or “not doing” to address the issue.
I would encourage anyone, including those seeking a school board position to visit our schools and see first-hand the orderly environment maintained on a daily basis.
Secondly, I would like to congratulate Mrs. Rowe and the TCSS BOE for their leadership of a school system that has experienced tremendous success in improving student academic achievement since the inception of the Federal No Child Left Behind Legislation in 2002. Even in light of massive reductions in both federal and state education funding, TCSS can boast unprecedented student achievement as measured by standardized assessments including the CRCT, The Georgia High School Graduation Tests, State End-of Course Tests, Advanced Placement exams and others.
Please do not be deceived by twisting and misrepresentation of information. Students attending Troup County schools are afforded a quality educational experience and have access to high levels of academic rigor. TCSS students are very successful in post-secondary endeavors including college, technical school, military and work force.
Yes, there is certainly room for improvement in the graduation rate. Much time, energy, sweat and, yes, money is being poured into that initiative. Unfortunately, we have students who do not understand the value of an education and are not willing to take advantage of the opportunities afforded them.
The continued increase in the graduation rate in the TCSS is evidence of the tremendous work being done by school personnel to instill in our students the value of obtaining a high school education and beyond. Our school board is to be commended for its commitment to the support of this encouragement especially through the funding of our graduation coaches in both middle and high schools.
School systems are also being held accountable for students who do not finish school for reasons that are far beyond the influence of school personnel. Graduation rates are based on the number of students who complete a prescribed high school curriculum in four years.
Those identified as drop-outs include students who need a little more time to complete that curriculum and even those who miss valuable school time due to major illnesses and other circumstances such as incarceration. It is difficult to hold teachers, administrators, superintendents and school board members accountable for students who do not graduate on time because of reasons beyond their control.
Regardless of the formula used for calculation, the graduation rate in the Troup County School System and overall student academic success continues to improve. On a personal note, and as the former principal of LaGrange High School, I offer you the following example of academic excellence by TCSS students. The LHS Class of 2012 posted the following first-time testing pass rate on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests:
Social studies: 93 percent
English / language arts: 96 percent
Math: 96 percent
Science: 99 percent
Writing: 99 percent
The class of 2012 was the sixth LHS graduating class in a row to outscore the state of Georgia in all areas of the GHSGT.
While these scores are not 100 percent as dictated by the 2002 NCLB legislation, they are certainly far from “mediocre!” as some would like the citizens of Troup County to believe.
Finally, I would like to congratulate Mrs. Rowe and the TCSS BOE for their leadership with the successful management of the maintenance and operations budget over the last five or so years. A review of the TCSS M&O budget reveals a 2012 budget that is within a few thousand dollars of the 2007 budget.
While I am amazed by the fact that anyone’s M&O budget remained relatively constant in a five-year period of time, I am even more amazed that this accomplishment was made during a time when fuel and energy cost were at an all-time high and during a period when considerable facility additions were made within the system. I wonder how many businesses or industries can boast that type of M& O budget management success.
I wonder how many individuals can boast that type of house-hold M&O success. I wish I could!
I will be the first to admit that our school system is not perfect. There is always room for improvement and doing things more efficiently. Fortunately, my years as a school administrator included a BOE comprised of individuals of integrity and honesty. They supported our students, our parents, our teachers, our support personnel, and very importantly, our school administrators.
The Troup County School System is recognized across the state as being one of the best. That is because we have good students and good parents. It is because we have dedicated teachers and school administrators. It is because we have dedicated support personnel. It is because we have dedicated board members who are serving our community for the right reasons.
At a recent BOE forum held at West Georgia Technical College, Mr. Daniel stated that this school board election was the most important political event of the century. For the students, teachers, administrators and support personnel in the Troup County School System. I must agree.
Your vote for Sheila Rowe in the run-off election on Tuesday will ensure the continued academic success of Troup County students in a safe and conducive learning environment. It will also ensure the continued wise management of taxpayer money dedicated to the most important investment in our future – the education of our children!
Steven C. Cole
106 View Pointe Drive
LaGrange, Georgia 30241
Former Teacher BWE
Former Teacher / Administrator HHE
Former Teacher / Administrator SSE
Former Principal SSE
Former Administrator / Principal LHS
In the 2010-2011 data Troup County Schools the following is the statement found under the "Accountability" tab,
"System did not meet AYP System criteria; Improvement Status : Needs Improvement"
Further the data offered by the same website shows that Troup County's graduation rate in 2009 - 2010 was 80% and that 2010 - 2011 was 64.3 or a 19.62% drop in our graduation rate. How does this data match up with your praise of what our current school administration and BOE have accomplished? Oh that’s right:
"Unfortunately, we have students who do not understand the value of an education and are not willing to take advantage of the opportunities afforded them".
So when the accountability for poor performance hits, your answer is to blame the very students that our schools system is supposed to demonstrate the value of an education to...hmmmm not the stance that is expected from our educators. Or we can dispute the way the graduation rate is calculated, we should not hold our school system accountable because it is just so hard, is that it?
We might want to also discuss the fact the TCSS only spends 60% of the $129,000,000 budget on Instructional Expenses, where the top performing schools are spending over 70%. Provo District in Utah has just over 14,000 children in their system (We have just under 13,000) expends 74% of their funds on Instructional Expenses, Cherokee County in Georgia expends 70.57% and their enrollment is 36,353 children...oh and their administration expense is just 7.70% where ours is over 9%. Is our school board truly holding the TCSS leaders accountable?
As far as your assertion that:
"A review of the TCSS M&O budget reveals a 2012 budget that is within a few thousand dollars of the 2007 budget" how is this pertinent to our current situation? In a county where the average household income is $41,770, according to the latest census data, and our TCSS average administrators salary is $85,509.39, support personnel at $61,668.62 and teachers at $52,308.19 (From The Governor's Office Of Student Achievement) This data indicates that our TCSS salaries have not been adversely affected by our dismal economy, yet the household income in Troup County has not kept pace. Analysis of the data would indicate that the economic pressures that are evident in our county would demand that the TCSS budget reduce not expand and that the cost of administration in our school system is out of step with what is best for our community.
Bottom line for me Mr. Cole is that our administrator’s, on average, are being paid 104.7% more than the average household income, our graduation rate is at 64.4% a reduction of over 19% from the year before and we DO NOT MEET the AYP criteria. How does this do anything but define our current TCSS as anything but mediocre? Obviously you do not believe in striving to be the very best in what you do, accepting “average” is good enough. Being the best entails commitment and sacrifice, are these not values we want our children to see demonstrated by those in leadership positions?
Your comment; “ Please do not be deceived by twisting and misrepresentation of information” suggests that the people of Troup County are trying to do anything but achieve the very best educational opportunities for their children, and it is quite frankly offensive and self –serving.
Attempting to actually get the BOE to open their meetings up to citizens without having their questions vetted and approved by a mediator would go a very long way to allowing an open and honest discourse on how our education system is running and or could be run. Not allowing the actual taxpayers that are responsible for funding the school system to ask direct question of those that supposedly represent them cannot be allowed any more.
Your comment; “ Despite allegations of “unsafe” schools by several BOE challengers, schools in Troup County are as safe as any schools, public or private, and much safer than most public places we frequent on a daily basis. In many cases students are safer at school than they are in their own neighborhoods”. This is quite interesting to me because it indicates that you believe our two departments of public safety, the LaGrange Police Department and our Sheriff’s Department to be incapable of providing our children or citizens with “Safe Neighborhoods” or “Safe Public Places”? Can one surmise from your statements that significant changes are needed within the LaGrange Police Department and the Troup County Sheriff’s Office?
As I have stated before, I do not feel that our current BOE members are anything but good and well meaning individuals, I question if they are the right people to take us to a much higher level of performance. Along those lines I do not see the leadership necessary within the TCSS to embrace the changes that are needed to drive the systems performance to a level of dominance, scholastically, at the National level. We need to have people in these positions that not only welcome spirited debate but demand it, our current leadership has demonstrated over and over that they do not welcome challenges and want to continue proving the theory that insanity is the act of doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result.
I still believe there is more to the Dariel story at Troup High. If just one young man would come forward with the true story that would help us understand the true story about the hazing.
No need for that "one young man" to come forward to set the record straight because God knows,The Devil knows and Dariel Daniel knows the truth of it.
Now is the time that we should focus on a positive future of our young people which will one day be our leaders, and not the past failures of the authorities which turned their heads. I'm sure that there has been a huge healing process for all involved and there's no need to open those wounds. Only prayers and checking the right names before we cast our ballots is what we have to rely on.