Dear Mount Abraham Union High School board members,
I read this headline in the May 7 edition of the Addison County Independent: “Juvenile cases flood court system. County officials say opiate addiction, troubled families cause caseload to spike.”
How much does it cost to “fix” these problems?
The job of schooling our youth is the most important way of developing our communities. I much rather spend money on our local education system than investing in the county court system.
I think that schools are the last place for our communities to interface with children and offer them consistent, responsive attention in an organized, healthy way.
If teenagers can learn to engage in a positive way with caring adults, and develop skills so that they can do worthwhile work in our society, we are stronger and richer. At the high school level, often, alternative programs fulfill that need. I know that increases the cost of education.
Teach the community that we need more money to get the job done, the best we can. Teachers deal with day-to-day issues that go well beyond their academic expertise. Give them what they need, to prepare students for success.
Remind the communitythat times have changed. Our society is filled with many variables and distractions that make the job of teaching more difficult to do.
Invest in our future, now.
Get feedback from the teachers, counselors, special educators, support staff and administrators at our high school. Find out what amount of money is needed for them to do their job, then communicate with our community.
Increase the budget, if needed.
Thank you for your work. Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Patricia Heather-Lea
Bristol