I read, “Hopping: $$ woes hurting Nock,” in the November 9, 2007 issue of the Newburyport Current and immediately thought of major league baseball. I couldn’t help but think that the Rupert Nock principal had been designated to throw out the first pitch on opening day of the push for an override.
Cry “wolf,” early, loudly, and continuously and surely the Newburyport community will commit your way the next time an override is tried. I’m not sure that this tactic will gain enough traction to move very far any more.
The news that the school system is having to adjust because of fewer dollars puts them in a position to better understand the realities that those of us on fixed and/or stagnant incomes deal with regularly. We may be part of Red Sox Nation but we don’t have the seemingly bottomless pockets of Red Sox management.
It certainly would be nice if the tax base could be expanded to lessen the financial burden but I see this community as anti-business. All you have to do is suggest that businesses need parking areas for employees and potential customers and you’ll learn what a chilly reception is all about. Further, add that the parking areas are already in place and could be tastefully landscaped and you’ll quickly be talking to yourself. Some of these folks are so anti-parking and anti-business that I wonder if they would start a drive to ban books from schools if they found out they came from trees.
Speaking of banning, it would help if we could read some good news about our schools. Last month there was an article in the daily paper in town that included essays composed by four juniors at NHS. They had written about censorship after their required reading of Catcher in the Rye in their English class. Unfortunately, none of the students presented a legitimate understanding of why anyone would be offended by the book and therefore might take issue with such a profane book being required reading in 2007. Instead, all of the students presented well-written support for the “anything goes” side of the argument. Wouldn’t many of us have wanted the students to be persuasively presented with the idea that there are places for restraint, limits, and moderation? Maybe the essays were not a true representation of overall student opinion but I’m not so sure. Critical thinking has no chance in one-sided forums.
I am very supportive of athletics but, let’s face it, they’re a school luxury. If you’re looking for trouble just hint at cutting back there. Would it then be asking too much if two of the high school fall sports teams (football & girls soccer) stopped generating headlines for poor behavior in this day when there is talk of stadium refurbishing and updated equipment?
I have high regard for the leadership in our schools and I applaud the efforts of the School Committee’s Revenue Task Force. Creativity and accentuating the positives are going to be essential in order to get the educational job done. Crying, “wolf,” is old school. Many of us are managing to get by on limited means. Show us that you can do the same thing.
McClelland Miscellanea 