LETTER: Parents join together to address education and schools
By Contributor
Dear Boundary Citizens,
There has been many many issues and decisions made over the last 15-20 years that have affect our children. Years before that, one room schools with dedicated teachers, for example Margret Harpur and Agnes White, taught children up in Bridesville and Rock Creek ( Kettle Valley.)
Who am I to decide what issue is the most important one of the week that requires top priority and the most funding allocated to it when thousands of people have volunteered their time for years to do what they felt was and is in the best interests of the children.
We have all been told once again by our local board of education that there is only one small piece of the pie that we together as a community can decide on how we allocate the funding to.
I can not let one issue go and be put on the back burner just because there are so many others. Let us focus on this one small, minute problem to some but life threatening to others. Let us tackle one at a time and build from there, one brick at a time instead of getting side-tracked on too many and wearing ourselves out.
Our families and children must come first. They will hide and cover up until you are worn down. They will try and distract some of you and send people to grand conferences, forums etc. with big promises of collaboration on decision making to better our children and community. How much will this cost our district? I say save this money and use the funding to put the Alden bus route back on and hold the government accountable for keeping our rural roads safe to transport our children safely to school!
I am very proud of Jake Bianic that wrote the article in the Boundary Creek Times Mountaineer paper Thursday, Jan. 28. He is in grade 12 at Boundary Central Senior Secondary. I am also very proud of his teacher Anna Lautard and all of the other good dedicated teachers in our world (not all teachers are great ones but most are in my opinion) Some teachers go on to be superintendents that some how have lost their priorities?
To quote Jake, “Don’t always listen to hearsay, for it is just a twisted, contorted version of the truth. People should be allowed to voice their concerns without fear their statements will be used to twist the truth.”
We are not just ” a bunch of dumb farmers out in the west end of the district” as quoted by some people at a school board invited community forum held in Grand Forks 10 years ago while having discussions on how to save money and not close schools in the west end but have all schools in the district go to a four day school week. I could go on and on but my words could be twisted…..
As I see it as well Jake!
LET’S LISTEN TO OUR CHILDREN!
Lynda Scott-Slaughter,
Concerned Boundary Citizen
Community Action Program for Children Coordinator for the West Boundary
Country Kids Preschool manager and teacher and former school board trustee on the District 51 School Board of Education.
