A Win / Win For Bertie County Education

There is a WIN / WIN for Bertie Education if we want it.

If we can keep community interest in education anywhere near the level seen at the 12/19 joint meeting between the County Commissioners and Board of Education, we can significantly change public education for the better in Bertie County. Nothing short of our democracy and quality of life here is at stake if we do not. I thank each of you for being present on 12/19, no matter which side of the debate you were on.

There were many passionate comments made from both sides of the debate; however, I want to share some thoughts based on what I thought was a pivotal comment made by past Board of Education Chairman, Reverend Gary Cordon Sr.

Reverend Cordon noted the Board of Education has to consider all children, not just those at the smaller schools of J.P. Law and Askewville. He made the argument that students at the larger schools at Colerain, West Bertie, and Windsor were also being bused and because of those schools larger size, their students did not get the benefits of a smaller community school. He appeared to be using this as an argument to justifiy why we might have to ask some students at Askewville and J.P. Law to give up a smaller school and ride the bus a little longer. I put myself in Reverend Cordon’s shoes and admit I could understand how he could feel this was a fair course of action. However, his statement kept ringing in my ear, ringing until the middle of the night when my respectful reply became clear.

Here it is.

Reverend Cordon, thank you for providing me the clarity. To be fair to all students, we need to develop a facility plan and begin implementation to give our stakeholders what they want at the elementary school level. What they want is community schools. The board of education has the hard task of providing that on a limited budget. However, I think we all heard clearly that the County Commissioners and public are willing to spend monies that are planned and reasonably timed to achieve our desires. Let’s fix J.P. Law and keep our six elementary schools open. Once we are out from under the desegregation case, we will have the flexibility to draw school lines to balance out the size of our schools. We can then make them as small as possible and at the same time get them large enough to be fiscally viable. Then we can add to or remodel schools as needed or if the county approves and has the money build new schools in these communities. This will not be possible under the rigidity of a desegregation case that forces requirements on us that are decades old and outdated.

During my days as a senior manager in industry, I learned the best plans are those energetically supported by the folks who will implement, pay for, and use them. I do not think the citizens of this county will fail the board of education, if you lead us in the direction our passion points to. The Board of Education has a unique opportunity to bring this county together on education in a way not seen for many years. This does not demean the course of action you originally chose. There are always many ways to an end. However, I believe a choice which keeps all our community schools open and (as soon as possible) economically sized will give this board of education a proud history. You will be remembered as the board that ended a 37 year old desegregation case, provided community schools for all, and brought us together by your willingness to listen and compromise.

I know I am asking for another hard decision. We elected you to implement our wishes and I am hopeful and confident you can find reason in these words. Thank you for listening.

There is a WIN / WIN for all of us I believe.

John H. Davis
113 South Wheeler Drive
Merry Hill, NC 27957

Phone (252) 482-1592

PS - I remind everyone there is another public meeting being put on by citizens trying to further the cause of community schools in Bertie County. This meeting will be held in Windsor, at the Council on Aging Senior Center on Thursday, January 5, 2006. The meeting time is 5 PM.