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Do a poll on uniforms
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Editor:

 

I am greatly concerned with the way this whole uniform issue has been handled by our school board. We first heard that it was because of the parent survey sent home last fall – a survey whose results could not be viewed because they were destroyed, according to Dr. Brewer. Next we were told that the teachers wanted uniforms, based on a secret poll taken two weeks ago. The questions posed and the results of this survey were also not available to be viewed, although the Bryan County News reported the totals on May 16.

I am a registered nurse and, in my profession, when I take a patient’s blood pressure, give a medication, notify a physician of patient status or do anything for or to my patient, I have to document it in the chart. That makes it available for the patient, family and other medical staff to review. If I don’t chart something, legally, it didn’t happen.

It is the same in other professions, such as real estate, banking and education. Just because a person "says" that he will buy a house doesn’t make it so. There are numerous documents that must be signed and registered. In banking, just because the bank president "says" he believes a person will pay back the loan doesn’t make it so. He must have signed documentation before any money changes hands. In education, in order to give a child a grade, there must be documentation of tests, quizzes and homework results to support the grade that is given.

We have seen no appropriate documentation that uniforms are wanted by either parents or teachers.

With this proposed uniform policy, it seems that there is an agenda to rush it through without proper input from those most profoundly affected by it. There are three examples of this.

First, parents were given no notice until the March 26 board meeting that uniforms were even being considered for this next school year. I buy my children’s fall and winter clothes when they go on sale in January and February and, as a result, I have already purchased their school wardrobes for next year, according to the current Bryan County school dress code.

Secondly, there are only two choices of shirt/sweater colors, one of which is white, As a mom of a first grade boy, I know full well that if I send him to school with a white shirt or sweater, it will come home looking more like the lunchroom, playground or art room than a white shirt. Hence, the only choice every day, all year long for my son is a navy shirt.

Thirdly, this proposed uniform policy doesn’t allow for the children to wear "red on Fridays" to show support for their moms and dads who are currently fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of the world.

An appropriate parent survey, involving only the issue of uniforms would have, I believe, referenced these and other areas of concern, which could then have been easily adapted into the uniform policy.

As a parent, my taxes support these schools, my vote put these representatives on the board and it’s my money that will have to pay for the uniform that they choose. For these reasons I ask the board to consider the negative impact that rushing a uniform policy will have on the children and families in Bryan County.

Instead, let me suggest that the board perform an appropriate "Parent Uniform Poll" once school is back in session. Compile the information statistically and post the results on the Bryan County Schools web site. At that point, if uniforms are something that the majority of parents want, work on implementing it for the following school year, with plenty of notice given to all who will be affected.

 

Sincerely,

Julie Dobson

 

 

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Showing gratitude for service
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Dear editor: Another election cycle is finally over and the voters of Bryan County have spoken. We will have three new county commissioners in January 2011.
My congratulations go out to Jimmy Henderson of District 5, Carter Infinger of District 4 and Wade Price of District 2. I look forward to working with them as we continue to take care of the business of the county.
All three races were contested, which gave the voters a choice of who they wanted as their commissioner. Those who did not prevail in this election are to be applauded for offering themselves as candidates.
Our county owes a debt of gratitude to retiring commissioners Rick Gardner with eight years of service, Blondean Newman with eight years of service as a commissioner and 30 years as tax commissioner, and Toby Roberts with 18 years on the county commission.
These three spent many hours establishing policies and procedures for our county government and many meetings with state and local officials to achieve the best possible outcomes regarding our county on numerous issues. Their many years of experience will be sorely missed.
I well remember the first time I ran for public office and lost. Sometimes those who are not elected are the winners because they don’t have to go to all the meetings – that is said with tongue in cheek, of course.
After my loss, someone sent me the following quotation from President Theodore Roosevelt, which I keep on the wall in my office:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
And my wish for all the citizens of Bryan County is to have a truly blessed Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year’s.

Jimmy Burnsed
Chairman
Board of commissioners

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