Letter to the Editor: Don't give up on Blackwell Middle School

Dear Editor:

Community can be defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. I have taught at the Blackwell Middle School for the past 28 years. I continue to stay because of the sense of community BPS exhibits even in times of change and turmoil.  That being said, I am worried that the school community at Blackwell has lost sight of some of its common goals.

We are no longer a unified district in which we all work together for the good of our district and the students we serve. It seems lines have been drawn and sides have been chosen. By doing this, we have become divided and instead of looking at what is best for the district, we are looking at what is best for our particular building, our particular teachers, and our particular students.

  We have forgotten that we are in this together and if one building fails then our district fails! We have pointed fingers, have placed blame, and have allowed personal opinions to cloud our judgement. We have stopped supporting each other.

I love this district, I love this community, and I love the middle school.  It is disheartening to me and my colleagues that our middle school is being perceived in such a negative light, and that our district is slowly tearing itself apart from the inside out

Recently, it was stated that the middle school would be going through a house-cleaning of their own. If that is what you needed to see done, then by all means call it that. Furthermore, as parents, if you needed to see it done then it’s done.  Let’s start over fresh. Please don’t take your children out of this district. Give Mrs. Miller the chance that she deserves as the new middle school principal.

Give my colleagues and I the chance we deserve to provide your children with the education we were hired to give.  Don’t give up on YOUR community. Don’t give up on US! There is plenty of negativity in this world without us adding to it.

We don’t have to all get along, but at the very least, we should be respectful of each other.

We will never agree on every issue, every change, or every decision that is made in our district. However, what we all should agree on is that our district is worth fighting for, that our community is worth fighting for, and most of all, that our STUDENTS are worth fighting for!

Sincerely,

Candi Holt