Rumors are floating around that Crest High School may be losing their ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corp-supported and paid for by the United States Military) Program because of a lack of participation caused by the lack of respect and support given the program by the CCS administration. The ROTC Program in Cleveland County Schools is already missing from Shelby and Kings Mountain High Schools. ROTC Programs have offered many students four year college scholarships, with monthly stipends up to $500 sometimes paid along the way. Losing such a program will be a great loss to many students who cannot afford to go on to college any other way.
Shame on Cleveland County Schools administration and the CCS Board that is supposed to provide oversight and direction. And, all the while, CCS puts out a line of phony baloney that their goal is for every student to graduate High School and be either enrolled in college, employed or enrolled in the military. The three “E’s” they call it. However, that is only propaganda. CCS has failed in so many ways.
Let’s count some of the ways CCS has failed to meet their own goals, failed their students and failed the taxpayers who cough up $165 million every year to pay CCS:
1. Enrolled. The potential loss of the ROTC program due to the lack of CCS administrative support resulting in poor student participation. So much for the enrolled in the military goal. Or, if you do enroll, you go in as a Buck Private with little hope of becoming an Officer. And your family needs food stamps to survive.
2. Employed. Local industries and manufacturers are complaining very loudly that CCS graduates are not qualified to be hired. No vocational training. No Workforce development that is worth a hoot. There is a so called “task force” that is supposedly being assembled to study the problem. Yet CCS is appointing people to the task force who don’t have a clue about vocational education and training. Hey, In my previous article regarding Workforce Development I pointed out to CCS, Commissioners and CCC too a well proven system that has worked for hundreds of years. But you don’t hear a peep from CCS, CCC and the Commissioners about that. And all those 20,000 plus in Cleveland County that cannot find jobs or good paying jobs have to live on food stamps to survive. That 20,000 plus number of food stamp recipients came from a Cleveland County DSS report I obtained through a the Freedom of Information Act request. DSS sent the report through County Attorney Tim Moore.
3. Enrolled. Again more propaganda from CCS. Sure some real smart students find their path to higher education-despite of CCS, not on account of CCS. CCS reports that are buried deep and never talked about show that 46% of graduating students cannot read, comprehend and do simple math at a proficient level. Those folks too often find food stamps necessary to survive. Or crime and jail.
The results are conclusive folks. CCS has failed students, our children and our future in just about every way possible. And yet we continue to fork over $165 million per year in tax dollars with such poor returns on our big investment in education. Note that the $165 million doesn’t include a dime of the many more $Millions that go to CCC. And the $240 million that goes to DSS per year. That’s just in Cleveland County. Over $400 million per year. No wonder our country has such a high debt.
Despite all this evidence that changes need to be made, very few if any candidates for Commissioner will advocate the required changes that are necessary to improve the education provided by CCS.. It is not too late though. There is still time to get up a petition to run for office. All you need is about 2,550 verified signatures for the Commissioner’s race and you will skip all the Primary Election junk and go straight to the November General Election with your name on the ballot. I would be glad to sign the petition for any good candidate that will come forward. So should you.
