Schools should be free to set priorities

Editor:

As a county in the state that ranks 49th out of 50 in the quality of education of its students, Columbia County should continue to set the example and move forward, not backward, in the struggle to give its students a better, more comprehensive education.

The success of the Spanish programs at South Columbia Elem-entary and Stevens Creek Elemen-tary should be emulated, and the goal of our Board of Education should be to incorporate similar programs in every school. It makes common sense, and all the brain studies tell the same story: It is better to start teaching foreign language while children are young. Their aptitude for learning languages is much higher the younger they are when introduced to it. Also, it increases their comprehension level and their understanding of cultural diversity.

Each school in our system must set its own priorities as to how it spends the state and county monies it receives and the additional monies raised by its PTO. The priorities should reflect the needs of its students, not students in another part of the county, state or country. Otherwise, as a parent, why be involved? Why not just let the state and federal governments have total control?

Whether we agree with them or not, the state has set requirements for a core curriculum. So long as those requirements are met, each schools administration, along with each group of parents that make up each school, should make the decisions as to the allocation of the remaining time and funds.

Last I heard, we still live in a republic, not a socialized union wherein everyone must live to the lowest standards in order that no one have something the others do not have. That kind of thinking is backwards, un-American and ludicrous and will serve only one purpose: It will ensure that Georgia retains its less-than-lofty position with one of the very worst education records in the country.

Lynn Gilmore

Martinez