School Board “Waterboys” by Sandra Stroud Graphic added and forwarded by Robert A

(CCS School Board Chairman) Robert Queen is quick to use the Holy Bible and its Scripture to his Convenience. When he used a Bible Story to justify breaking a state law of the North Carolina Education System, he hit an all-time low. What makes his actions so repulsive is that the entire school board agreed with him. That makes all of them appear as “Waterboys.”

If other school systems in North Carolina can operate successfully under state law; do the necessary testing, have mid-term exams, take holidays and seasonal breaks and have graduation exercises, why can’t Cleveland County? Why must this school board break a state law? Before this present (school) board took over the schools had always operated under the same law.

Union County in North Carolina tried breaking this law and a lawsuit pursued. That is what will happen here, eventually costing taxpayers money.

Keep on carrying water, boys!

Sandra Stroud

Editor’s Notes:

Ms. Stroud is 1,000 percent correct regarding the funny business by the School Board that breaks State Law. Except it is NOT funny. It is entirely a complex, clever and devious deception by CCS to attempt to cover-up for a failing school system that is NOT properly educating our children. As always, the TRUTH in a complex deception by CCS is very often hard to find. But it goes as follows.

North Carolina Laws related to public schools have been clearly defined by the North Carolina Supreme Court. Public Schools are to provide the OPPORTUNITY for a sound basic education for every child. Testing of Public-School Students are required to determine whether or not the Public-School students, our children, are actually RECEIVING that sound basic education.

A secondary consideration for the provision of a sound basic education for our children is that this “education” is to prepare our children to become able to use that education to become a productive member of our society for the remainder of their lives after graduation. Therefore, the education of our children is an investment that, over time, benefits not only our children, but the state and our society as a whole in the process. So, a proper testing program during a child’s time in Public Schools should concentrate on long-term retention of the lesson materials taught to them and NOT just a test of simple short-term memory. And to be consistent, all testing of public- school students across North Carolina and the USA should be as consistent as possible. With the goal being to maximize long-term learning.

Historically children have always had to work on the family farm to help feed the family. Planting in the spring and harvesting in the fall. Summers, with its long and hot days were a bit less involved with farming as was the winter’s short days and cold weather. So, summers and winters may have been the best times for schooling, except for certain other factors. It was too hot in the summers to be indoors all day long. Christmas and New Years Holidays in the winter were too family oriented to allow for full time schooling. Then mechanized harvesting, using machines too dangerous for children to operate also became a factor. So, all and all, it worked out that school terms became standardized as starting in the early summer and finishing in the late spring. With a break between the Christmas and New Years Holidays. And short breaks for Thanksgiving, Easter, July 4th, etc.

Now, back to testing. It would be foolish to teach students all year long and only have a test at the end of the school-year. If a child fell behind early in the school year, that child might sit there all year long before anyone would ever know. So, periodic testing and pop quizzes were developed. These tested short-term memory learning mostly, but provided a general indication of a child’s progress. Now, throw in the Christmas and New Years Holidays. A long break that doesn’t occur exactly at the middle of the School Year. The first part of the school year to the big Holidays was a bit shorter that the second part of the school year. So, it came to be that teaching from the beginning of the School Year to the big Holidays would be devoted to teaching throughout and the second part of the School Year, after the big Holidays would first include more comprehensive testing and then go into full time teaching until the end of the School Year. Thus, helping to equalize actual teaching days between the first part of the School Year and the second part of the School Year. This schedule has been followed for years and years and has mostly served Educational processes well.

Until communication equipment became more sophisticated and the State Board of Education became much more aware of the 100+ School districts in North Carolina and discovered major differences in mid-term and end-of-grade test results. And realized some school districts were operated much more poorly than others. And demanded improvements from the districts with the lower test scores.

Now, the deception kicks in. With poorly performing school districts now becoming more and more identifiable and the nepotism and other corruption related factors that leads to less than expected student performance, the poorer performing school districts had some explaining to do. And were expected to do what was necessary to show a better performing educational system.

So, School Superintendents over the poorly operated School District found themselves in a bind. Stick with their standard MO and standard (and often highly corrupt) practices and find themselves shown out the door, or become deceptive and basically a liar all around.

Also, knowing that testing as soon as possible after a student has been taught a lesson (short-term memory) provides the best test scores has become the change method of choice for the poorly performing school districts. Move the mid-term tests up to before the big holidays and test scores will surely substantially improve. Then falsely claim that the School District has substantially improved its educational program. When the facts are quite different when objectively evaluated. If ALL the School Districts would do the same, then ALL the School Districts would show an improvement. And the poorly run School Districts would quickly return to the hot seat as they are once again identified as a poorly run school district. And those in charge may have dodged the bullet long enough to draw a better retirement and the children under their so-called “care” are damned to a future with a lesser education than promised and paid for by taxpayer dollars.

Folks, who do you believe is correct in this matter? Sandra Stroud or School Board Chairman Robert Queen and his best buds, SuperintCTendent Stephen Fisher and the “Waterboys.” Robert A’s vote goes to Ms. Sandra Stroud.