The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN —
We do have choices
Last week, President Obama signed sweeping “health care” legislation that created a major rift over costs and other issues.
In 2009, we spent $2.5 trillion, or more than $8,000 per person, on medical care. That’s 17% of our GDP – more than any other country. And even these outrageous numbers don’t account for the economic toll of lost productivity, or the emotional toll of disease and death.
Ironically, these costs and the legislation have nothing to do with health care and everything to do with medical care, directed at alleviating chronic killer diseases that are largely self-inflicted through our flawed lifestyles. Actual health care is absolutely free! It involves exercise, rest, and abstinence from smoking, drugs, and meat and dairy products.
Yes, meat and dairy. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 1.4 million U.S. deaths annually, or 58% of the total, are caused by heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, which have been linked conclusively with consumption of animal products.
We have no control over national medical care policy. But, each of us can exercise a great deal of control over our family’s health every time we visit our favorite supermarket.
Malcolm Williams
Meridian
Looking back on Mr. Kent
Whether Mr. Kent resigned or was fired or what he did or did not do should no longer be a topic of discussion. I agree that we must move on (Kent’s tenure now over, school district moves on, The Meridian Star, Sunday, March 14, 2010) and turn our attention to the decisions made or that will be made by the Board of Trustees and the “short-term, long-term or permanent” Superintendent. From what I have observed thus far, they are losing or have already lost the PR battle and don’t exactly inspire a sense of confidence that they are up to the task of tackling or even understanding the problems facing our schools. It also raises the question if Mr. Kent’s termination or resignation was based solely on his performance or rather lack of performance or did it have more to do with regaining or maintaining the status quo. Six points to ponder:
(1) Dr. Terry Larabee, the “short-term interim” superintendent, was quoted as saying “I’m not here to make any changes.” I assume that the primary reason Mr. Kent was terminated or “given the opportunity to resign” was to appoint someone to make structural changes. “Making no changes” could have just as easily been done without his termination or resignation.
(2) Even more discouraging is the “bureaucratic double-talk” by Mr. Evans and Mr. Lynch: “Evans stressed that Dr. Larabee is only serving in an acting interim position until a more long-term interim superintendent can be hired.” What are the qualifications for a “short-term interim superintendent” versus the qualifications for a “long-term interim superintendent?” If Dr. Larabee is not qualified to be the “long-term interim superintendent” why was he even considered for the “short-term interim” position?
(3) The dubious practice of sending “non-renewal notices” to principals as a thinly disguised veil to terminate or reassign “targeted” principals. However, based on our test scores, no principal in the MPSD has distinguished themselves.
(4) The timing. Principals, teachers and students were already facing a myriad of distractions and the timing of Mr. Kent’s termination or resignation only added another layer.
(5) Contemplating eliminating summer school which could very well be the difference of returning to school or dropping out for marginal students.
(6) (Selecting an interim superintendent) Mr. Evans: “At that time he (Dr. Mike Walter) brought a list of former superintendents who had retired in the state.” “We are going to bring them in and interview them and then put the best person in the position that we can for our interim as soon as we get to meet them.” First of all, “former superintendents who had retired…….” is not what we need. We need an experienced, energetic person; preferably in their mid-forties, who understands the adverse conditions that many of our students face from pre-natal through high school and beyond and not a “baby boomer” whose best years are in the past. Secondly, when does genuine community input become an integral part of the selection process? Has anything been learned from “clandestinely” selecting past superintendents?
Solutions to the multitude of problems facing the MPSD will not be resolved by simply replacing superintendents. Major league sports may be used as an analogy. Merely changing the head coach rarely, if at all, turns around a losing team. Often it takes replacing the entire coaching staff and also bringing in better players. Structural changes have to be made from the federal level down to the local levels. Teachers must have the freedom to “teach their class” and should not be constrained by micro-managing and one-size-fits-all teaching methods developed by “consultants” (many who are retired superintendents that haven’t taught a class in years, if at all) who believe the methods that worked for Betty, Bud and Kathy in “Father Knows Best” are still applicable to today’s students. How I wish those methods were still effective, however, today we are living in a much more complex and diverse society. Greater emphasis has to be placed on pre-school and after-school education for both students and parents. It is not only unrealistic but also delusional to believe that classroom teachers can miraculously improve the academic performance and/or test scores of students who may enter school two to three years behind many of their peers that were fortunately enough to be born and/or reared in a “middle class or upper class” socioeconomic environment. What works at one school may be ineffective at another. Also, what works in one classroom in the same school may not work in another classroom. We should also re-examine the skill sets of administrators because skill sets of educators/teachers are not the same skill sets required of administrators. Those who have been “called” to be educators/teachers should be in the classrooms teaching and a district’s “administrative team”, from superintendents to principals and assistant principals, should be composed of experienced MBAs and MPAs.
I would normally close by wishing the next “short-term interim, long-term interim and/or the eventually permanent” superintendent good luck. But even more than luck, he or she is going need experienced administrators, greater parental involvement and genuine community support and not mere politically correct statements from those who claim to support the MPSD but have made a conscious effort to remove their children or grandchildren but yet enjoy the financial benefits of employment, contracts or consulting fees. Whoever the next superintendent may be, he or she has only a matter of months to reverse the district’s dismal performance and I do not envy anyone undertaking this Herculean task. The MPSD has been under performing for several years and was only “exposed” by the new rating system. The schools that are currently rated academic watch, at-risk of failing and/or failing would have received the same or similar ratings in school years 2004 - 2007 under the new rating system.
Again this is not the time to dwell on the past but rather focus on the question: is our district “fixable at the local level?” If we believe it is, let’s get involved; if not, let’s bring in the State Department of Education. At this time the jury is still out.
Willie E Heidelberg
Meridian
More on Ms. Pauline
I read with interest the letter to the editor by Mr. Gordon about Ms. Pauline. I did not live here during the Matthews store days, but it must have been the same as Abe Mays Grocery and Feeds in Atlanta, Texas in the days of my youth 1934 to 1944. In my mind the article was good but did not cover enough of the subject.
I have known Ms. Pauline for approximately 12 years. She is one of the most remarkable women I have ever met. She is interesting, intelligent, good, kind, and a pleasure to talk to if you can talk loud enough that she can hear you. I have not talked to her children much but I bet she has been a wonderful mother. Her love for her yard and flowers and general outlook on life greatly impresses me. If you ask her question be prepared for her honest answer, which may not be what you had hoped to hear. I hope she lives another one hundred years.
Thank You.
Doc Strange
Issues with the road closing
Atlas Roofing has petitioned the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors and the City Council of Meridian to close the north end of Valley Road, which travels past their company. They are citing safety as the reason.
This Valley Road is 150 years old. There are hundreds of residents who live on this road. In 2007 a survey showed 3,300 cars traveled Valley Road every day with 2,000 of them going directly by Atlas Roofing. To date there have been no accidents, no injuries and no complaints about this section of Valley Road.
Atlas employs about 200 people in their plant, of which a good many live outside Lauderdale County. Valley Road has several hundred who live on the road and use it every day to shop, to go to church, to visit family, to go to school, work, and play.
Our supervisors and councilmen were elected by the people to act for the people – ALL THE PEOPLE – of Meridian and Lauderdale County. So let’s all get together and vote to keep Valley Road Open, which is for the greater good of the people of Lauderdale County. Closing the road is NOT economic development and NOT necessary for the safety of the traffic.
Becky Vance
Meridian
