My children will spend a large part of their life in the care of SSD. As their parent, it is my duty to keep an eye on their schools and it’s leadership, and to speak up when I think that the wrong decision is being or has been made.

We have only been in SSD since Mrs. Couey has been superintendent. When we were deciding which schools to put our children into, I was assured by friends in the community that, despite the reputation of Mississippi Schools on a National level, SSD was a great school district and had some of the best schools in the state. I enrolled my children here, and I have since watched our school district go from one of the best in the state to being on the brink of failing in the few years Mrs. Couey has been at the helm.

I’m not an educator and I’ll admit I don’t know about MAARS data or whatever else. However, I do read the school district report cards that come to my home, and I have noticed a steady downward trend. I help my children at home, I volunteer in their classrooms when my work schedule allows, I have actively helped with fundraising efforts by the SFPE. I am involved and I want to make SSD better in whatever ways I can.

I will not, however, sit back and follow along blindly with the implementation of policies which are not supported by data, impose financial burden on an already strapped community, and are full of contradictions. I won’t do it.

Seems to me that this group of parents making all the noise are grandstanding and not truly interested in the safety and education of the kids. Using a little common sense and stop attacking everyone that doesn’t agree with you would probably get you a lot further.

Oh, I’m not anyone on the Board, just someone watching the parade go by.

Bad guess- I’m not Pickett Wilson, but thanks for the compliment. I know her and she is a good person with the best interests of our children in mind.

By the way- corporations have shareholders– school boards have stakeholders. Maybe someone else should put on a uniform and go back to school, too?

ko-

Is 4,000 not a larger number than 1,000? I’m pretty sure my assertion SSD has 1,000+ students is accurate.

Also, based upon your figures, I would counter if 1,000 people signed the petition a minimum of 3,000 did not– probably more considering my analysis is based on a conservative figure of 1 parent per household and not 2. Furthermore, how many of those signatures are from 1 household including students? How many households are represented by your petition?

My comments re: safety stem from previous posts on S-Now. There have been incidents of unauthorized people coming on campus. What would prevent a child who does not attend SSD to get on a bus and harm a student they are having a conflict with? A uniform would help teachers and bus drivers (especially subs) have an idea of who belongs and who does not. Granted, there is a chance that a non-ssd student could dress as one to accomplish the same task, but it does cause an obstacle for that person to overcome.

There is a reason, besides conformity, why the military wears uniforms– it helps them to identify the good guys from the bad in battle. It’s a common-sense approach that can be applied to a variety of other environments- including schools.

Finally, what does it teach the children when the adults act like children and dish out personal attacks and plot vengeance when they don’t get their way?